Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 : The central government has directed Orissa to form a crisis group to monitor the pollution caused due to oil spilling off a sunken Mongolian ship near Paradip port, officials said Wednesday.

Biswajit Mohanty, member of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), said that the government has directed the state to ensure that the pollution does not pose danger to the rare Olive Ridley turtles, whose nesting place is near the accident site.

The vessel under a Mongolian flag ran aground Sep 9 in the harbour area off the port in Jagatsinghpur district, some 100 km from here, with 924 tonnes of furnace oil and about 25,000 tonnes of iron ore fines.

Twenty-seven crew members were on board. All but a Ukrainian engineer, whose body was found 10 days later, were rescued.

"This oil leak as well as iron ore fines could be washed away by currents north towards to Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. Similarly, it can contaminate nearby waters," Mohanty said.(IANS)