Tunisia: Sunken tanker contained no fuel, government says

By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA
Associated Press

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A tanker that sank off the Tunisian coast and and was believed to be holding 750 tons of diesel fuel in fact held no fuel at all, according to Tunisian naval officials. The ship’s crew has been detained on suspicion of criminal activity. The sinking of the Xelo ship last week raised fears of a potential fuel spill in the Mediterranean. The ship’s captain initially said it contained 750 tons of fuel. But after Tunisian and Italian divers inspected the sunken ship, they found no fuel in its containers. They said the ship no longer represents an ecological danger.