Municipality recover 16.3 tonnes of flotsam after ship sinks in Dubai Creek

The National -- Dubai Municipality have recovered 16.3 tonnes of goods and waste from a commercial ship that sank in Dubai Creek on Thursday.

Talib Julfar, Assistant Director-General of Environment and Public Health Services at Dubai Municipality, said the ship set out at dawn on Thursday, but collided with one of the wave breakers and sank.

“Considering the sensitivity of the site and to stop the spread of goods in the water, a specialised team ... was called in," he said.

"The site was surrounded with a sea barrier, preventing the spread of floating waste in the Creek waters due to sea currents.

"The team recovered goods fallen from the ship, mostly electrical appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners, which are dangerous to the marine environment.”

Mr Julfar said Dubai Municipality is keen to maintain the cleanliness of waterways and lagoons in the emirate by strengthening its fleet of waterway cleaning vessels, as well as implementing a range of initiatives and campaigns to keep the sites clean.

Abdulmajeed Sifaie, Director of Waste Management at Dubai Municipality, said their marine fleet has been prepared and equipped for handling various marine disasters. Their 24-hour crew have been trained carefully for immediate response to emergencies and marine disasters and to maintain the sustainability of the marine environment. They also carry out daily cleaning operations year round.

The historic Dubai Creek is a 14-kilometre natural seawater inlet of the Arabian Gulf located in the heart of Dubai. It was first referenced in a 1822 British naval report, later becoming an important trading hub, especially due to pearling and fishing.