Antwerp Port Battling Oil Spill with Drones and Determination

Authorities at the port of Antwerp are using drones and have closed docks to manage an oil spill that occurred during a ship bunkering. Efforts are underway to contain the spill and clean 20 affected ships and the dock area's walls and water.

(Adds quotes from port spokesperson) BRUSSELS, June 7 (Reuters) -

Authorities at the port of Antwerp have closed a dock and are using drones to monitor the fallout from an oil spill that occurred while a ship was bunkering at one of its docks, a port spokesperson said on Friday. "We are doing everything we can to make sure the oil stays locally," the spokesperson said.

Belgium's biggest port closed its Deurganck Dock as well as the Kieldrecht lock, the largest lock in the world when considering water volume, to prevent the spill's spread. The port spokesperson said 20 ships needed to be cleaned from the oil before they could leave the dock, as well as the dock's walls and water. She could not say how much oil spilt into the water during the incident or specify the type of ship that lost it.