Tugboat Fleet Unable To Move Leaking Tanker

A fleet of tugboats failed on Tuesday to refloat a stranded supertanker, which has leaked an estimated 8.8 million gallons of oil near an important wildlife haven.

Despite a tide that was the highest in at least 15 years, the combined power of seven tugboats, a team of salvage workers and the tanker’s engines failed to move the Sea Empress.

The tanker is at the mouth of the Milford Haven estuary, one of Britain’s most important wildlife conservation areas.

About a dozen of the tanker’s 17 holds are believed to have ruptured, the coast guard said.