In the wake of the massive oil spill in a river within the Arctic Circle, the United States on Saturday, June 6, offered to help Russia in cleaning the spill.

‘Saddened to hear about the fuel spill in Norilsk, Russia,’ US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Twitter.

‘Despite our disagreements, the United States stands ready to assist Russia to mitigate this environmental disaster and offer our technical expertise,’ Pompeo added.

Saddened to hear about the fuel spill in Norilsk, Russia. Despite our disagreements, the United States stands ready to assist Russia to mitigate this environmental disaster and offer our technical expertise.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 6, 2020

The spill, deemed to be the worst ecological catastrophe of the sort to ever hit the region happened when a fuel tank at a power plant near the Siberian city of Norilsk lost pressure last Friday, May 29. It leaked 20,000 tonnes of fuel and lubricants, a huge part of which flowed into the Ambarnaya river.

According to initial investigations, the oil tank was damaged due to above-average temperatures in Siberia. This eroded the soil, which in turn damaged the foundation and caused cracks in the tank, reported DW.

The plant is owned by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel – the world’s leading nickel and palladium producer. Following the spill, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency. He added that he expects the company to pay for the cleanup.

According to the state environment watchdog, while 15,000 tonnes of oil products had seeped into the river system, another 6,000 had seeped into the subsoil. In aerial footage published by the RIA news agency, an expanse of crimson water could be seen stretching from shore to shore down a river. The river will need decades to recover, the state fisheries agency said.

Also Read: Russia Declares State Emergency After 20,000 Tonnes Fuel Spill In Arctic Circle