The Russian government declared a federal emergency in response to the oil spill. Cleanup efforts have involved around 8,500 volunteers and emergency personnel
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Nearly 150 volunteers and workers cleaning up a massive oil spill along the Black Sea coast have sought medical help in the past month, health officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region said Wednesday (January 15).
Krasnodar Health Minister Yevgeny Filippov reported that 146 individuals required medical attention during the ongoing cleanup efforts.
Of those, three were hospitalised while 142 received outpatient treatment.
Filippov did not specify the nature of the health issues but said no medical cases had been reported in Crimea, where the spill has also reached. He added that six medical stations were established in affected areas, and mobile medical teams are patrolling cleanup zones, Moscow Times reported.
The announcement followed the death of a 17-year-old university student who had reportedly been helping with cleanup efforts in the resort town of Anapa. The exact cause of death remains unknown, but pro-Kremlin media suggested the teenager may have been exposed to toxic fumes.
Over 8500 volunteers cleaning oil spill
The oil spill occurred on December 15, when two aging tankers carrying 9,200 metric tons of mazut, a heavy fuel oil, were caught in storms in the Kerch Strait between southern Russia and Crimea.
One vessel sank, while the other ran aground.
Mazut is particularly challenging to clean due to its tendency to sink rather than float on water.
The Russian government declared a federal emergency in response to what President Vladimir Putin has described as one of the country’s most severe environmental disasters in recent years. Cleanup efforts have involved around 8,500 volunteers and emergency personnel.
‘Obviously not enough’
During a visit to the region on Sunday (January 12), Putin criticised the response as “obviously not enough,” noting that the spill had contaminated large stretches of coastline, killing sea birds and marine mammals.
The oil has spread as far west as Sevastopol in Crimea and east to southern Russian beaches, affecting thousands of tons of sand and soil.
Authorities are continuing efforts to contain the damage and mitigate the environmental impact.
With inputs from agencies
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