Uncollected fuel trapped in the sunken cruise ship Sea Diamond off the island of Santorini is a time bomb for the marine environment and has started to escape from the ship’s tanks into other parts of the vessel, according to experts.

Oil from the cruise ship, which sunk in April close to the island’s port, has yet to be siphoned off as authorities are still searching for a way to safely drain the 400 tons of diesel.

Experts said the fuel has remained trapped in the vessel but has started to seep into other parts of the ship, such as passenger rooms.

Divers are taking video footage of the sunken ship as an investigation continues into the conditions surrounding the accident which resulted in the death of two French tourists. In June, the government fined the owners, operator and captain of the Sea Diamond cruise ship 1.17 million euros for causing marine pollution.