Second Egyptian ship runs aground at coral reef in Jordan's Gulf of Aqaba - The National
An Egyptian-operated ship has run aground in the Aqaba Marine Reserve on the Red Sea and Jordanian authorities are assessing damage to the coral reef in the area's shallow waters, according to The National.
It is the second environment-related incident in Aqaba, Jordan’s only outlet to the sea, in the last month, when a similar ship operated by the same Egyptian company spilt fuel oil that contaminated parts of the coral reef. Local divers described it as the worse spill in decades.
The official Jordanian news agency said: “A cargo ship coming from Egypt ran aground while entering (Jordanian) territorial waters.”
It said that divers were dispatched to the site to “assess the environmental damage” after the ship was towed away.
An official in Aqaba, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the vessel as the Lotus, a general cargo ship built in 1990.
The International Register of Shipping showed that the Lotus is operated by Sea Gate Management, an Egyptian company.
It operates the Flower of Sea, the same class of ship that Jordanian authorities said spilt at least 11 tonnes of fuel oil in the Gulf of Aqaba month.
The spill damaged the coral reef in Aqaba and mostly washed on to the southern shoreline, which forms the marine reserve. Jordanian authorities said the spill also spread to neighbouring countries.
The Aqaba Marine Reserve comprises almost half of Jordan's 26 kilometre coastline.
The official said the vessel was towed to the Aqaba port and be investigated.
“No one is allowed to come near to the ship pending the investigation,” the official said.
The marine reserve was carved out in the last few years to try to halt massive depletion of fish and destruction of the coral reef in Aqaba from decades of construction and pollution.
