Environmentalists in Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, say they “expect the least” in a race to turn an estimated 2,500 tonnes of oil from an invaded Japanese ship before it breaks in half and further pollutes the sea.
The MV Wakashio, who ran aground on a coral reef off the island nation off the east coast of Africa two weeks ago, has already leaked more than 1,000 tonnes of fuel, according to the Associated Press. High winds and waves are hitting the stranded ship now as it shows signs of splitting.
“The ship shows really big, big cracks. We believe it will break in two at any moment, within a maximum of two days, “warned Mauritian Wildlife Foundation manager Jean Hugues Gardenne. So much oil remains in the ship that the disaster could get much worse. It is important to remove as much oil as possible. Helicopters pick up the fuel bit by bit, ton by ton. ”
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“We expect the least,” he added.
This photo provided by the French Ministry of Defense shows oil leaks from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier that finally ran off the southeast coast of Mauritius, on Sunday.
(EMAE via AP)
French experts have arrived from the nearby island of Reunion and deployed driving barriers to try to contain a new oil spill, Gardenne said. France sent a navy, military aircraft and technical advisers after Mauritius called for international help on Friday, while Japan said it would send a six-member expert team to help.
Efforts are also being made to get other ships nearby to pump large quantities of oil from the MV Wakashio.
“The danger of the ship breaking in two is increasing hour by hour,” environmental consultant Sunil Dowarkasing, a former Mauritius MP, told the Associated Press. “The cracks have now reached the base of the ship and there is still a lot of fuel on the ship.”
The ship ran aground on July 25, but work to remove the oil that it was dry began only last week when the hull cracked and began to drain the fuel into the sea, according to Dowarkasing.
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MV Wakashio’s owner, Nagashiki Shipping, said Monday that two ships arrived on the scene to pump oil from the threatened ship.
Oil is polluted on the shores of the public beach in Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, on Saturday. (Sophie Seneque via AP)
“A hose connection has been successfully established … and the transfer of fuel oil is underway,” the company said in a statement. Nagashiki Shipping added that it is working with Mauritian authorities “to reduce the spill” and that “the primary focus at the moment is … protecting the environment.”
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Temporary driving barriers are used in hopes of containing the game.
(Sophie Seneque via AP)
Meanwhile, the pressure is exerting on the government of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to explain why it did not take immediate action to prevent the environmental disaster. Jugnauth has declared the oil spill a national emergency, but some residents say he acted too late.
The opposition and activists are calling for the dismissal of the environment and fisheries ministers. Volunteers have ignored an order from the government to leave the clean operation to local officials.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
