Around 30,000 birds perish in Black Sea oil slick

By DPA

Moscow : More than 30,000 birds have died along the Russian coastline following an oil and sulphur spill in the Black Sea.

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“The damage is so great that it cannot be estimated. This amounts to an ecological disaster,” Alexander Tkatschov, the governor of the affected southern territory of Krasnodar, was quoted as saying Monday by the Interfax news agency.

President Vladimir Putin would fly to the area immediately, government chief spokesperson Viktor Subkov said.

The oil spill occurred when a severe storm in the Black Sea caused tankers and cargo ships to break apart Sunday, spilling thousands of tons of fuel and sulphur.