Shipping suspended at port of Antwerp after oil spill

The Belgian port of Antwerp-Bruges has temporarily suspended shipping operations following an oil spill that occurred in one of the docks and spread into the River Scheldt.

The leak happened during bunkering operations of the container ship MSC Denmark VI at the Deurganckdock, Caliber.Az reports, citing Belgian media.

The scale of the pollution proved significant, with oil entering both the dock basin and the river, prompting authorities to halt vessel traffic.

An observation aircraft was deployed to assess the impact of the incident.

It was later reported that the leak had been contained, but shipping remains fully suspended, with no vessels currently able to enter or leave the port.

Port authorities said efforts are underway to minimise environmental and economic damage and restore normal operations at one of Europe’s largest ports.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the second-largest cargo port in Europe and handles hundreds of millions of tonnes of cargo annually, with connections to more than 800 destinations worldwide.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov