STOCKHOLM, March 9 - The northwestern coast of Denmark has been hit by oil pollution, according to reports reaching here from Copenhagen on Tuesday.
The oil slick is about two meters wide and 30 kilometers long with various thickness along the west coast of Northern Jutland in Denmark, said the Danish daily Politiken.
Jutland forms the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west and the Baltic Sea to its east.
"This is quite a major pollution event," Environment expert Viggo Larsen was quoted as saying by Politiken, adding that Admiral Fleet Denmark (SOK), which patrols Danish waters for signs of vessels that may leak oil or jettison tanks reported no suspicious vessels.
"I have spoken to some other experts who say it may have been caused by an earthquake that took place some time ago off the Danish coast," he added.
An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale took place on Feb. 19. Its epicenter was recorded in the North Sea at a depth of 10 kilometers almost 70 kilometers west of Thisted, a Danish region in northwestern Jutland, the report said.
The Danish environmental sector has sent oil samples for testing to find out where it came from, the Politiken added.
The oil slick is about two meters wide and 30 kilometers long with various thickness along the west coast of Northern Jutland in Denmark, said the Danish daily Politiken.
Jutland forms the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west and the Baltic Sea to its east.
"This is quite a major pollution event," Environment expert Viggo Larsen was quoted as saying by Politiken, adding that Admiral Fleet Denmark (SOK), which patrols Danish waters for signs of vessels that may leak oil or jettison tanks reported no suspicious vessels.
"I have spoken to some other experts who say it may have been caused by an earthquake that took place some time ago off the Danish coast," he added.
An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale took place on Feb. 19. Its epicenter was recorded in the North Sea at a depth of 10 kilometers almost 70 kilometers west of Thisted, a Danish region in northwestern Jutland, the report said.
The Danish environmental sector has sent oil samples for testing to find out where it came from, the Politiken added.
