Colombia works to control oil spill in Magdalena river

Colombia's Magdalena river corporation (Cormagdalena) is working to control a hydrocarbon spill that affected the Magdalena river.

A collision of two vessels caused the spill of around 2,500 barrels of fuel oil, Cormagdalena said in a statement posted on Twitter.

The incident took place near El Banco municipality, in Magdalena department.

"We have started water contamination evaluations, as many municipalities along the river banks that feed their aqueducts with the waters of the Magdalena river," Comagdalena head Alfredo Varela told radio RCN.

The municipalities located between El Banco and the southern parts of neighboring Bolívar department have been placed on alert, reported local daily El Tiempo.