GREECE STRUGGLES TO MOP UP OIL SPILL NEAR ATHENS

Greek authorities insisted Thursday they were doing everything they could to clean up the viscous, foul-smelling oil that has coated large parts of Athens’ coastline following the sinking of a small oil tanker.

The Agia Zoni II tanker sank Sunday while anchored in calm seas off the coast of Salamina island, near Greece’s main port of Piraeus, carrying 2,200 tons of fuel oil and 370 tons of marine gas oil. Two crew members were rescued.

Greece has requested help from the European Union, and a specialized cleanup vessel has been deployed.

Critics, however, have accused the government of not acting quickly enough to prevent the spill from spreading from Salamina across the coastline.

It’s unclear why the ship sank.