Explosion damages Greek oil tanker in Mediterranean

An explosion rocked an oil tanker carrying around a million barrels of crude off the coast of Libya, paralyzing the ship but without leaving victims or environmental damage, its Greek owners said Monday.

The explosion occurred Friday in the engine room of the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Vilamoura about 90 nautical miles (165 kilometers) off the Libyan coast, said the company, TMS Tankers.

“There were no injuries and no pollution,” it said in a statement.

It said the engine room had flooded, leaving the ship paralyzed. It is to be towed to Greece Tuesday or Wednesday, it said.

No cause for the explosion was given.

The ship had left the Libyan port of Zueitina and was bound for the British territory of Gibraltar across the Mediterranean.