Egypt has declared a state of emergency and heightened alertness at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba in response to a potential gas ship leakage, announced the Egyptian Ministry of Environment in a statement.
Ali Abu Senna, the head of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), conducted an inspection of the incident and directed authorities to enhance preparedness and readiness for any potential leaks or pollution originating from the stranded ship.
Furthermore, Abu Senna ordered the highest level of alertness at the Al-Salam Center for Combating Marine Oil Pollution in Sharm El-Sheikh, which operates under the Ministry of Environment.
According to the statement, the gas ship collided with coral reefs at the entrance of the gulf near the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh. Although the exact date of the incident was not specified, it reportedly occurred during the ongoing Muslim Eid Al-Fitr holiday.
Unnamed sources cited by Egyptian media outlets on Sunday stated that the gas ship, registered in Liberia, had been en route to Russia after unloading its cargo at Jordan’s port of Aqaba. They confirmed that no leaks or pollutants have been detected from the ship thus far and reported that it has been successfully refloated and is currently harbored at Sharm El-Sheikh port.
