Barge Accident Threatens Amazon

Brazilian authorities scrambled to avert an environmental disaster in the Amazon jungle after a barge holding nearly 500,000 gallons of oil sunk to the bottom of the world’s largest river network. Diving teams plunged into the depths of the Rio Para, in the remote jungle state of Para, to remove tanks from the vessel, which sank Friday while transporting the fuel for U.S. oil company Texaco. Texaco’s regional manager, Jose Ferreira Amin, said there was virtually no risk of a spill because the cooler temperatures at the bottom of the river had thickened the oil.