Massive oil spill contaminates Polish river

An oil leak has been reported in Poland. The pipeline spill has affected a stretch of the river Vistula for twenty kilometres. The spill is expected to reach the Baltic Sea.

Fire Department spokesperson Pawel Fratczak said that specialists are now trying to establish the cause of the accident.

“We have set up special barriers that blocked some of the oil. At the same time, some of the oil has been neutralized by special absorbers. More than thirty workers are on the scene,” he said.

Since this is fuel oil it poses no threat to birds and other animals in the area, neither there is a threat to the cities down the river, the Fire Department spokesperson also noted.

Russian Environmental authorities are monitoring the progress of the oil spill.

Deputy Head of the Russian Environmental watchdog Oleg Mitvol says the spill is expected to reach the Baltic Sea.

“We have not got any information from the Polish colleagues so far. We know that there was an oil leak from the pipeline. The spill is moving along the Vistula to the Baltic Sea. We will step up monitoring of the Baltic Sea. On Monday, we expect more information on the leak and on the area it has spread to,” he said.