Sunken WWII-era tanker leaks oil in Icelandic waters

The Icelandic Coast Guard has deployed a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) crewed by a marine pollution control team in response to an oil spill from a sunken World War II-era vessel in the waters of the country’s eastern region.

The leak has been traced to the bridge area of El Grillo, a British-flagged tanker that was sunk during a German air attack off the town of Seyðisfjörður in February 1944.

The spill is the second reported from El Grillo this year. The earlier incident, which has since been resolved, had originated in a different area of the ship.

The coast guard and the country’s environment agency are now evaluating possible steps towards successful containment and clean-up of the spilled oil.