Cypriot authorities monitoring a huge oil spill from a power plant on Syria’s Mediterranean coast have already called for help from the EU, said Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis.
The most recent computer model indicates the oil spill could affect Apostolos Andreas Cape in the breakaway north late Tuesday.
The oil leak at the Baniyas power plant was first reported last week, and Syrian state media said the leak was an accident.
In comments to CyBC radio Kadis, said the slick was expected to reach the north of the divided island on Tuesday but had no update from the Turkish Cypriot authorities.
The oil spill recovery vessel Alexandria, which the European Maritime Safety Agency commissions, has been called in to help contain the pollution.
According to Syria’s electricity minister Ghassan al-Zamil, the size of the leak ranges from two to four tonnes of fuel; a committee was formed to investigate the cause.
According to a high-ranking Syrian official, Associated Press reported that the leak occurred at a tank facility where some 15,000 tonnes of fuel are kept.
Initial satellite imagery showed an oil sheen 36 kilometres long, but newer imagery shows that the spill is larger than anticipated and is reaching deeper into the Mediterranean.
Cyprus said satellite imagery from the European Maritime Safety Agency showed the existence of a “possible oil spill” between the island and Syria.
Kadis said that Israel and Greece were informed and will be on standby to help out if needed, as provided in the latest trilateral agreement signed with Cyprus.
Meanwhile, according to Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen, three response vessels are on their way from Turkey.
The head of the environmental authority in the Turkish occupied north Fikri Ataoglu said he was in contact with Turkey’s Environment and Transport ministers, monitoring the spill from a satellite.
The ships carrying oil spill containment equipment and specialised staff should be arriving in the north on Tuesday.
In comments to the Turkish news agency Anadolu, Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay said that Turkey would be mobilizing all available ships to prevent an environmental disaster.
Oktay said they are monitoring the spill and the extent of the environmental damage.
