Oil spill after ships collide

TWO merchant ships collided north of the French island of Corsica on Sunday, causing a 4km fuel spill in the Mediterranean Sea that French and Italian authorities are still working to contain.

No one was injured in the collision, but it smashed a hole several metres long in the hull of one of the ships, causing the spill, according to a statement from the regional French maritime authority.

The spill created a trail of pollution 4km long and several hundred metres wide, heading northwest away from Corsica towards the mainland.