Cargo ship sinks off Tunisia

TUNIS, April (KUNA) -- The commercial cargo ship XELO, carrying 750 tons of diesel fuel, sank nearly seven kilometers off Gabes port, east Tunisia, on Saturday.
Units from the Tunisian navy managed to rescue the seven-member crew of the doomed vessel and rushed to a hospital in Gabes. Medical sources said the crew members are in stable condition. The accident raised the specter of a potential "an environmental disaster," prompting the government to put the local authorities on high alert.
The Environment Ministry said in a press release it is following closely with profound concern the ecological consequences of the shipwreck, noting that the situation is under control at present.
The ill-fated ship, carrying the flag of Equatorial Guinea, was en route from Damietta, Egypt, to Malta, when it sank apparently due to bad weather. (end) ksj.gb