A tanker carrying more than 2,000 tons of fuel has sunk off the coast of the Greek capital city of Athens with its captain on board, media reports citing officials said Monday.
Officials said coastguard divers have since recovered the body of the captain, adding that the remaining ten crew-members on board the ill-fated vessel were rescued by emergency workers who arrived at the scene.
In addition to the eleven crew-members, the Alpha 1 was carrying about 1,800 tons of fuel oil and nearly 240 tons of diesel when it sank at about 10:30 am local time in the shallow bay off the industrial suburb of Eleusina.
It is not clear whether the sunken ship posed a threat to the environment. Officials say they have not detected any oil leaking from the sunken ship so far. A floating plastic barrier has been erected around the site to contain any possible oil spills.
It is not yet clear what caused the vessel to sink. Local media reports suggest that Alpha 1 may have capsized after hitting a wreck in the shallow bay of Eleusina. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com