A ferry that ran aground and leaked oil into the Baltic Sea has been pulled free – with the rescue operation revealing another oil spill, the Swedish coastguard has said.
The Marco Polo was operating a route along Sweden’s coast when it ran aground on 22 October and started leaking oil.
The spill stretched over three miles out at sea.
The latest oil leak discovered during the rescue operation was described by authorities as small.
After the ferry ran aground, the 75 passengers and crew were unharmed and were evacuated.
The vessel, operated by TT-Line of Germany, was not at risk of sinking despite taking on water, the coastguard said.
The ferry continued under its own power but became stuck a second time.
A clean-up operation is under way to remove the leaked oil. Pic: AP
On Sunday, severe weather dislodged it and the ferry drifted further out before getting stranded for a third time.
The leaking fuel eventually reached the shores and wildlife of Pukavik Bay near Solvesborg, around 70 miles northeast of Malmo, Sweden’s third-largest city.
More than 500 birds are thought to have been affected by the oil that washed on to the coast, Swedish public broadcaster SVT said.
An estimated 50 cubic metres of oil have been removed so far, according to Swedish news agency TT.
The Swedish coastguard said it was not known how much oil was leaked from Marco Polo, but the damaged fuel tanks contained approximately 160 cubic metres of oil before the accident.
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Pic: AP
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that the ferry company “bears full responsibility” and expected it “to fully participate” in the investigation and clean-up work.
Swedish prosecutors have handed down fines to the captain and an officer who was in charge at the time of the grounding.
They said the staff had acted recklessly by relying on a faulty GPS.
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