A 100-120 metre stretch of oil believed to have been caused by a fuel leak from a passing ship is currently floating off the Girne coast, the Director of the Department of Environment Abdullah Aktolgalı said on Wednesday.

He added that some of the oil had hit beaches in the Girne area.

Aktolgalı said that they should be able to contain and clean the slick out at sea by this evening if the water current doesn’t change.

“Our teams are working round-the-clock to clean up the slick and to avert any further damage to the environment,” he said.

The head of the environment department however pointed out that it will take longer to clean the beaches were the slick has reached.

“Teams from the Girne and Çatalköy municipalities are currently in charge of the beach clean-up while the coast guard is dealing with the oil out at sea,” the director said.

Aktolgalı said that there was no reason for concern as the spill out at sea was thick which made it easier to be collected off the water’s surface.

In other areas he said that special ultra absorbent materials were being used to soak up the oil which would later be properly disposed of.

He also said that they have collected samples from the slick to investigate the matter.