VLADIVOSTOK, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A state of emergency has been declared in Kirensky District of Russia's Irkutsk region, where an oil spill occurred after two tankers collided on the Lena River on Monday evening, regional governor Igor Kobzev announced on Tuesday via social media.
According to Kobzev, one of the tankers, Erofey Khabarov, was carrying 832 tons of gasoline and sustained damage to one of its tanks, which held 138 tons of fuel.
The crew managed to pump the remaining gasoline into another tank and install a fence boom around the vessel to contain the spill.
The second tanker, TR-901, was under repair and did not carry any cargo.
Kobzev said that the authorities were assessing the volume of oil products that got into the river and working to prevent water intake from the river by downstream settlements.
He added that the situation is complicated by the fact that the river is navigable and there are 11 settlements in the area that may be affected by the spill.
The East Siberian Transport Prosecutor's Office said that a commission has been appointed to investigate the causes of the accident and evaluate the environmental damage. The owners of the vessels are being questioned and may face administrative or criminal charges. ■
