In pictures: Oil spill devastates southern Israel
An oil pipeline accidentally ruptured Wednesday night in southern Israel, leaving a black streak several kilometres long in the desert. Authorities are calling it one of the country’s worst environmental disasters ever.
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Photo courtesy of Ran Lior/Ministry of Environmental Protection.
An oil pipeline accidentally ruptured Wednesday night in southern Israel, leaving a black streak several kilometres long in the desert. Authorities are calling it one of the country’s worst environmental disasters ever.
The pipe burst not far from the Red Sea Resort of Eilat, close to the border with Jordan. Before it could be repaired, millions of litres gushed into the nature reserve of Evrona which is home to a large deer population and numerous douma palm trees. Environment ministry officials said the clean-up could take months, if not years.
Following the spill, about 80 people across the border in Jordan reportedly sought medical treatment linked to the spill, as did at least four people in Israel. Jordanian officials, however, said these were not serious complaints.
Here are some of the first photos of the spill, taken Wednesday night and Thursday morning, which Environment ministry employee Ran Lior posted on Twitter:
Video by Ofer Lekner: