MOSCOW: More than two dozen marine mammals have been found dead since a Russian oil tanker capsized in the Black Sea last month, a dolphin rescue center said Sunday, as authorities tried to contain the aftermath of the disaster.
The spill began on December 15, when two aging Russian tankers got caught in a storm near the Kerch Strait, which connects Crimea with southern Russia.
One sank and the other ran aground, spilling about 2,400 tons of heavy fuel oil called mazut into surrounding waters, officials estimated.
Russia’s Delfa Center, which rescues and provides rehabilitation for dolphins, said it had recorded 61 dead cetaceans since the incident, 32 of which “most likely” died from the outbreak.
Cetaceans are a class of aquatic mammals that include whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
“Given the condition of the carcasses, these cetaceans most likely died within the first 10 days after the disaster,” he said.
It said most of those killed were “Azov” dolphins – a type of harbor porpoise that looks similar to dolphins but is more closely related to belugas and narwhals.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said on Sunday it was working to contain the aftermath of the incident, but that “strong winds and waves” had washed up on some beaches.
“More than 68 kilometers (42 miles) of coastline has been cleared,” it said.
Hundreds of volunteers have been deployed to clean up contaminated soil from Crimean beaches and the southern coast of Russia.
Russian officials say the type of fuel oil involved in the incident is particularly difficult to clean up because it is dense and heavy and does not float on the surface.