August 10 (SeeNews) - The docking facility at Croatia's port of Ploce is off limits after a tanker carrying 27,000 cubic metres of oil rammed the dock five days ago, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, local media reported on Friday.
The STI Poplar chemicals/oil tanker, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, smashed into the dock causing a portion of it to break off into the sea, including oil and gas unloading equipment, public news broadcaster HRT reported.
According to HRT, the accident has caused no oil spill.
What is left of the dock, pipes and unloading facilities, is also damaged and no longer of use, HRT added.
The supply of oil will presumably be handled at the port of Split, until the docking facility in Ploce is repaired.
"The damage is considerable. We are taking all possible steps to determine the degree of damage and look for possible alternatives which would enable the flow of liquid cargo through the port of Ploce until the dock is repaired," HRT quoted Tomislav Batur, director of Ploce port authority, as saying.
Batur added that the tanker has not suffered any major damage and is currently anchored at the port.
The port authority and the ministry of maritime affairs and transport are currently conducting an investigation of the accident, following which repairs will begin.
According to experts, the damage to the port can be estimated in millions of euro.