INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russians in the southern city of Anapa took their standard Epiphany dips in waters affected by a major oil spill, officials stated,
regardless of issues about the harmful pollution.Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany on Jan
19, with Russians throughout the nation usually plunging themselves into icy seas, lakes and rivers to mark the occasion.Officials in the
southern city of Anapa said the festivities went on the citys beach, in spite of the entire area having actually been contaminated by an
ongoing significant oil spill.Heavy fuel oil has been washing up on numerous kilometers of beaches along Russias southern coast and on the
annexed peninsula of Crimea considering that two aging Russian tankers were caught in a storm in the Kerch strait on Dec
The regional job force supervising the clean-up operation posted videos on social media of believers wading into the sea off Anapa in the
pitch black to take the Epiphany dip
The water is extremely clear, I even dived underneath
Look, my hair is damp, and you can see there is absolutely nothing there
The water is pure, even the temperature level is comfortable, an Anapa local, Vladimir Balukov, said in the video, published on Saturday
night.The event was supervised by a priest, while lifeguards accompanied those who entered into the sea.Officials said the water had
actually been checked in advance.But hours later on the task force stated an overnight storm had brought new fragments of fuel oil to the
Russian President Vladimir Putin has actually called the spill among the most severe ecological obstacles Russia has actually dealt with
Numerous birds and lots of marine animals have died.Russia said previously in January that some 2,400 tonnes of the heavy fuel oil, known as
mazut, had been spilled by the two tankers, which were packed with 9,200 tonnes between them.One of the stricken ships has considering that
sprung a new leakage, pouring yet more fuel into the sea.The oil is particularly tough to clean up as it does not float on the surface.Over
the past month, thousands of volunteers have been scooping up oil deposits on beaches, with more than 168,000 tonnes of contaminated soil
and sand gathered, Russias Emergency Situations Ministry stated Sunday.Around 150 volunteers have actually looked for medical treatment,
including 3 who were hospitalized, the regional health ministry has actually said, without offering further details.
