In Egypt, the authorities of Hurghada declared a state of emergency due to the threat to beaches – oil spills were found on the surface of the sea. The Ministry of the Environment has taken measures to prevent pollution of the Red Sea coast, News Worled reported today.
Inflatable rubber booms have appeared in resorts, created specifically to protect against oil spills. Officials reported that equipment has been prepared for the collection of petroleum products and the elimination of consequences. The local press does not specify when the environmental emergency occurred and how extensive its area is.
According to our source from Egypt, so far tourists in hotels in the north of Hurghada have not noticed signs of oil pollution in the water. In the afternoon, a north-easterly wind blew, which could prevent the oil slicks from moving in a southerly direction. Unfortunately, this incident is far from the first – Russians have previously complained that after bathing they came out of the water stained with petroleum products.
The oil-like liquid was initially spotted in the Gebel ez-Zeit area, about 70 km north of Hurghada. There are oil fields on the offshore shelf and there is an oil loading terminal. According to preliminary estimates, the leak could have occurred at these facilities. At the same time, environmentalists do not exclude the dumping of petroleum products or crude oil from passing ships and tankers – the route to the Suez Canal passes through these waters.
According to the authorities, specially created groups are exploring the water area, determining the boundaries of oily spots and the direction of their movement. Samples were taken to determine the source of the leak.
Earlier, TurDom wrote that 700 thousand Russian tourists visited Egypt in the first half of the year. It is expected that up to 1.6-1.7 million Russians will arrive at the resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh by the end of the year.
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