Pemex tweeted in Spanish that “Burgos is created to carry hydrocarbons; his double-hull eliminates the risk of spills”.
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There are fears of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico after a fire erupted on a tanker carrying 1m litres.
According to Mexican daily El Universal, Pemex specialists are on board to ensure that the thousands of barrels of diesel and gasoline being transported will not pose an environmental risk. “You can see fire on the water, and that is a sign that the fuel is leaking”, said Antonio Chedrahui, a navy firefighting official.
The ship was anchored about 7 miles off the coast when it called for help at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
The blaze on the tanker Burgos occurred off the coast of Boca del Rio in Veracruz state and all the crew were safe, Pemex said in a tweet. All crew members were rescued without injury.
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At the time of the incident, the Burgos was sailing from Coatzacoalcos in eastern Veracruz state to the Pemex terminal, Port Authority Director Juan Ignacio Fernandez said late Saturday.
