Coal Carrier Sinks Off Sardinian Coast

A cargo ship carrying coal broke up and sank off the coast of Sardinia on Monday, nearly a month after it ran aground, port officials said on Tuesday.

The Eurobulker IV, registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was still holding about 14,000 tons of its original 17,000 tons of coal when it split in two and sank after two days of strong winds.

It was reported that the ship's sinking had caused limited environmental damage because only a small part of the cargo had spilled into the sea. The ship's 16-member crew was evacuated when the tanker ran aground on September 8 off Portovesme. Operations to remove the cargo were halted on Sunday due to bad weather.