A ferry and a cargo ship collided off Corsica in the Mediterranean. No one was injured, but several hundred tons of fuel run into the sea. Monaco, France and Italy are cooperating in the fight against oil.

The cleaning work is underway: About 28 kilometers from the Cap Corse peninsula in northern Corsica, two cargo ships collided on Sunday. About 600 tons of oil are now floating in the Mediterranean and have to be pumped out. The oil film is 20 kilometers long.

With conventional cameras, the scale can hardly be captured, but satellites have documented the site of the accident. Most of the shots are from 9 October and have a resolution of 50 centimeters. Satellite images are a good way to quickly get an overview and to understand the extent of the damage, said Adrian Zevenbergen from the space company European Space Imaging, which has published the images. In the true color images, however, you have to look carefully to recognize the oil trail. It barely stands out from the blue of the sea.

But it becomes clear that the oil drifts through the water in a long film. After flying over the scene of the accident, French Environment Minister François de Rugy criticized the captain of the Tunisian ship. At the wheel apparently was not paid attention. The exact cause is still unclear. The prosecutor of Marseille has launched investigations into environmental pollution caused by a ship accident. In the meantime, rescue workers try to limit the damage. Although the incident affects French waters, there are also several Italian tugs on the ground.

Monaco also helps with the work. Experts are trying to prevent further spreading of the oil with oil barriers. With oil aspirators, they finally want to remove the fuel from the water.