Spill fears over sunken ship
2009-09-03 21:05
Antananarivo - Fishing has been banned in a region of Madagascar where the Turkish ship Ana Gusler sank last week amid fears of a major chemical spill.
Interior Minister Manantsoa Masimana, who headed a government delegation to the site, says the ban is a precaution.
The ship sank off the southernmost tip of the Indian Ocean island and access to the remote area has been difficult. There have been concerns that ship is leaking fuel, causing environmental damage.
Masimana says no major leak has been confirmed. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that there has been no evidence the boat was carrying phosphate.
Clean-up operations started on Thursday, and a boat was expected to arrive at the end of the week to remove waste.
- SAPA