Almost 150 volunteers cleaning up a massive oil spill along the Black Sea coast have required medical attention, according to health officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
The spill occurred on December 15, 2024, when two tankers carrying 9,200 metric tons of mazut, a heavy fuel oil, broke apart in severe storms near the Kerch Strait.
Krasnodar Region Health Minister Yevgeny Filippov reported that 146 volunteers sought medical treatment during the cleanup efforts. Three of them were hospitalised, while 142 received outpatient care.
Filippov did not specify the exact health problems but mentioned that no medical cases had been reported in Crimea, where the oil also spread. Six medical stations were set up in the affected areas, and mobile medical teams continued to patrol the cleanup zones.
Efforts to contain the Volganeft-239 oil spill continue with a new barrier in place. Cleanup ongoing in the Kerch Strait.
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Volunteers who helped with the cleanup reported various health issues. Many complained of skin burns from coming into contact with the viscous fuel oil, as well as nausea, headaches, breathing problems, and a taste of oil in their mouths.
Some volunteers even drank a medical sorbent solution, known as Polisorb, as a precaution during their work.
One volunteer told a local news outlet that he experienced shortness of breath, similar to symptoms of COVID-19. Among the volunteers was Larisa Shultz, who gained social media attention after cleaning an oil-covered swan.
Shultz later required IV treatment after being exposed to toxic fumes. She shared on Instagram, “If I knew that helping birds would turn out like this, would I help? Yes. Now I’m saving myself. Everything is under control. Basically, three IVs are left.”
Anapa: swan rescued from oil spill hugs volunteer who helped it
A swan rescued by volunteers in Anapa, a resort town in the Krasnodar region hit hardest by the recent oil spill in the Black Sea, has been caught on video “thanking” the woman who helped save it, the TikTok account… pic.twitter.com/zzQqINfWEF
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Tragically, a 17-year-old university student who had joined the cleanup efforts in Anapa died. The exact cause of death has not been confirmed, but some media outlets speculated that the teenager may have been exposed to toxic fumes.
Mazut, the type of fuel spilt, is difficult to clean up because it tends to sink rather than float on the water. This makes it harder to contain and remove from the sea.
The Russian government declared a federal emergency, and President Vladimir Putin called the incident one of the country’s most severe environmental disasters in recent years.
Putin also criticised the initial response, saying it was “obviously not enough” during his visit to the region on January 12.
The oil has spread along the coastline, affecting both Russian beaches and parts of Crimea. The spill has already killed sea birds and marine mammals, and large stretches of sand and soil have been contaminated. Over 8,500 people, including volunteers and emergency workers, have been involved in the cleanup efforts.
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The oil spill started when the Volgoneft-212, a river-sea tanker, sank about five nautical miles from the Kerch Strait. Shortly after, its sister ship, the Volgoneft-239, ran aground on a rocky shore near Taman.
Both vessels were old, aged over 50 years, and not built to withstand severe weather conditions. The tankers broke apart, spilling the fuel oil.
The Russian Marine Rescue Service clarified that the tankers broke up at anchor during the storm. The bow sections of both tankers sank immediately, while the stern sections drifted over large distances. Volgoneft-239’s stern washed ashore near Krasnodar, about six miles from the bow.
Responders have been working to contain the spill. A road was built to the wreck site, and a dirt and rock embankment was created around the wreck to prevent further oil spillage into the sea. The remaining fuel oil is being pumped out of the cargo tanks of the grounded stern section.
The Russian government has described the spill as the first known marine spill of Mazut. Cleanup methods are still being developed, with experts working to tackle the specific issues posed by this type of fuel. A similar spill from a tanker breakup occurred in the Kerch Strait in 2007.
Reference: The Moscow Times