Clean-up operation launched on beaches of the Black Sea following oil spill

Emergency workers cleaned up the beaches of the Black Sea in southern Russia following an oil spill which occured on December 15.

Russia's Delfa centre, which rescues and provides rehabilitation for dolphins, said it had recorded 61 dead cetaceans since the incident, 32 of whom "most likely" died due to the spill.

Hundreds of volunteers have been deployed to scoop up contaminated soil from beaches in Crimea and along Russia's southern coast.

The type of fuel oil involved in the incident is particularly hard to clean because it is dense and heavy and does not float on the surface, Russian authorities said.