Fuel spill raises concerns over water quality in Italy

Italy's longest river has been contaminated with a large quantity of diesel and other fuel, with authorities claiming that the incident is being treated as a deliberate act of sabotage.

Ferruccio Melloni, head of the civil protection agency in the Emilia Romagna region, told Reuters that at least 400,000 litres of the fuel had entered the River Po after pouring into a tributary from storage tanks at a disused refinery near Monza.

Other estimates have stated that 2.5 million litres of fuel has now been washed into the river, which flows east for more than 400 miles across the north of the country.

Although the initial spill took place in the River Lambro tributary, it is thought that swift currents hampered attempts to protect the water quality of the Po.

Environmental groups such as the WWF have warned that the impact of the pollution could be long-lasting, with several water and bird species now at risk.

Italian officials suggested that the leak was the work of saboteurs, as the fuel containers appeared to have been opened by someone with knowledge of the plant.

Posted by Lauren Steadman