(TAP) - Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, on Monday, inquired about the progress of the cleanup of the accidental oil spill at sea, which occurred on October 4 near the Zarzouna oil quay under the Tunisian Refining Industries Company (STIR).

The Prime Minister visited the site on board a National Guard vessel, accompanied by the Ministers of Industry, Local Affairs and Environment and Transport, as well as a number of experts tasked with the monitoring and technical supervision of the oil spill cleanup.

Minister of Industry, SMEs, Energy, Mines and Renewables Slim Feriani stressed, in a statement to TAP, the desire of the local, regional and central services to mitigate the impact of the accident which caused a leak of 32 thousand m3 of fuel and rely on all internationally recognized mechanisms and new techniques to avoid any recurrence of such incidents in the future.

For his part, Minister of Local Affairs and Environment Riadh Mouakher highlighted the social solidarity and rapid and effective interventions to contain the leaked substance and minimize the effects of this spill.

He acknowledged that "the fight against marine pollution takes some time and we will continue to bring it under control,” pointing out that the Ministry has filed a complaint through the National Agency for the Protection of the Environment (ANPE) against the STIR.

 Bizerte Governor Mohamed Gouider said that all the necessary human, scientific and technical logistical means were mobilized to limit the fallout of this accident.

He added that experts of the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INTSM) will be dispatched Wednesday, October 17, 2018, to monitor the work undertaken and take the necessary measures