ANTWERP: Shipping was at a near-standstill in Belgium's port of Antwerp on Friday following an overnight oil spill, Europe's second-biggest port said as it raced to contain the risks of pollution and economic damage.
A port statement said the spill occurred during a "bunkering operation" — the process of filling a ship with fuel — in the Deurganck Dock, which is used by some of the largest vessels in the world to load and unload goods in Antwerp.
A spokesman said that as of midday Friday the port's North Sea access route via the Scheldt river estuary was "totally blocked", with Belgian media reporting that several dozen container and cargo ships heading in and out had been affected.
"We hope that the port will be fully operational in 24 hours", the spokesman said.
The port statement said the source of the spill had been stopped and the "directly involved seagoing vessels have been contained for active clean-up operations".
However, it said the pollution had spread towards the Scheldt river overnight.
"Emergency services are fully mobilised and are focusing on containment and clean-up operations", it said.
It was not yet clear how much oil had been spilled into the water.
The tidal Scheldt river estuary is the main maritime access route to Antwerp port, along with several narrower canals primarily used for inland navigation.
A team on site saw around 15 stationary ships near the port entrance, though it was not possible to confirm if they were being kept out by the traffic shutdown.
Local media reported that the spill occurred during the refuelling of the container ship MSC Denmark VI.
The ship's operator, MSC, confirmed the vessel was involved in the incident but declined to provide additional information.
"Our priority is safety", a spokeswoman for the company's Belgian office said, adding that they were focused on safeguarding "the crew, the terminal, the nature". — AFP
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