(Reuters) – A state of emergency was introduced around the area where two fuel tankers collided on the Lena River in southeastern Russia’s Irkutsk region, damaging a container and spilling gasoline into the water, the region’s governor said early on Tuesday.
The damaged container was carrying 138 metric tons of gasoline, the governor, Igor Kobzev, said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that authorities were trying to clarify how much ended up in the Lena.
The situation was complicated as other vessels were still traveling on the river, Kobzev said. “In addition, there are settlements downstream.”
The collision took place late on Monday.
He said that emergency services were working to prevent the diversion of water from the river.
The Lena River, the world’s 11th longest, originates near Lake Baikal in the Irkutsk region in southeastern Siberia and flows into the Arctic Ocean.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Sonali Paul)
