Authorities in Irkutsk-Siberia region declare state of emergency after spill Lena River 138 tons of gasoline After two tankers collided.

“A state of emergency has been declared in the Kilensky region,” Russian news agencies quoted the region’s governor, Igor Kobzev, as saying. TASS.

“At this time, we are determining the amount of fuel that will be injected into Lena. (…) we have absorbent stock and floating fences”.

The collision between the two oil tankers occurred on Sunday Damaged one of the tanksCarried 800 tons of gasoline, causing 138 tons of gasoline to spill into the river.

“Local authorities are working to prevent the use and consumption of river water downstream,” Kobzev added.

The Irkutsk government reported that “the initial cause of the incident was Violation of navigation rules“Because the captain who caused the accident was drunk and”The ship was commanded by the captain’s second-in-command. “

Russian consumer protection service Rospotrebnadzor reported that there was no water intake downstream of the accident site, Urge local residents not to use river water “For recreational, family or alcohol purposes” until the state of emergency is lifted.

“However, emergency services (…) on full alert And prepared a floating isolation barrier and the necessary absorbents,” the authority said.

Neighboring Yakutia, which lies downstream, has already begun to take measures, but is optimistic that “due to high gasoline evaporation, More than 90% of the spill is expected to evaporate without reaching the boundary“The Sakha Republic.

Given the speed of the Lena River, authorities expect the oil slick to reach Yakutia “in the night of June 14-15”.

aag