Two ships collided in the Mediterranean, causing serious oil spills

According to foreign media reports, at around 7:30 am local time on October 7, a Tunisian ro-ro ship "Ulysse" collided with a Cyprus container ship "CLS Virginia" in the Mediterranean island of Corsica.. Fortunately, no casualties were caused.
 
At that time, the "CLS Virginia" ship was anchored about 20 nautical miles northwest of the island, and no cargo was loaded on board. The collision caused serious damage to the starboard side of the ship, and the hull broke severely and a few meters of holes appeared. In addition, it is worrying that the fuel tank is seriously damaged and an oil spill has occurred. The French maritime agency said that it has detected an about 4 kilometers long and several hundred meters wide oil belts. The oil belt is floating in the direction of the coast of Corsica.
 
The "Ulysse" was operated by the Tunisian operator CTN. The ship departed from Genoa, Italy to Rades, Tunisia according to the scheduled sailing plan. CTN said that the ship is in good condition and will pay close attention to the development of the situation, assess the loss, and solve the problem of ships and cargo through legal channels.
 
At present, the cause of the accident is temporarily unknown, but at that time the sea surface was relatively calm and the visibility at sea was good, so the weather conditions were not the cause of the accident.


It has been reported that "it may be that the ship is driving too fast and it is too late to respond in a timely manner."
 
At present, a tugboat has been dispatched to the scene, and the French Navy has also dispatched an oil pollution control and clean-up vessel by using oil booms and oil absorbent pads. Relevant agencies in Italy also provide corresponding assistance.