Police in Mauritius ready to board a ground ship leaking tons of oil into its crystal clear waters as cleaning crews face a growing ecological disaster on the unspoiled shores of the archipelago.
The ship’s captain, a 58-year-old Indian national, will accompany officers on the search, police said.
Twenty crew members have been safely evacuated from the Japanese property, Panamanian flag ship as it ran aground are under surveillance.
Bulk carrier MV Wakashio has sought fuel in a protected marine park with unmanned coral reefs, mangrove forests and endangered species, prompting Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to declare an environmental emergency and call for international help.
The MV Wakashio, operated by Mitsui OSK Lines, struck the reef off the southeast coast of Mauritius on July 25.
Every Sunday, Mitsui OSK excuse him for the great oil spill, in which an estimated 1,000 tons of oil mixed in the Indian Ocean.
Drone images show large quantities of oil leaking from a bulk carrier from Mauritius after it ran into the southeast of the island. Ecologists fear the ship could break up, causing an even bigger leak and damaging the island’s coastline https://t.co/eaFgA8Zw2g pic.twitter.com/zUAtNcsDE8
– AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 8, 2020
“We sincerely apologize for the major problems we have caused,” Akihiko Ono, Executive Vice President of Mitsui OSK, said at a news conference in Tokyo.
He added that the company “will do everything in its power to resolve the issue”.
Attempts to stabilize the wrecked ship and pump 4,000 tons of fuel out of its grip have failed, and local authorities fear that rough seas could further break the tanker.
Hundreds of volunteers, many contaminated head-to-toe in black mud, run along the shoreline, strenuous miles of test subjects together in a desperate attempt to keep the fat tide.
But even though the thick mud has overcome the island nation’s pristine lagoon, marine habitats and white sandy beaches, causing unusual damage to the fragile coastal ecosystem that Mauritius and its economy rely on.
“People have realized that they have to take matters into their own hands. We are here to protect our fauna and flora,” said Ashok Subron, an environmental activist at Mahebourg, one of the least affected areas.
Neither Mitsui OSK nor Nagashiki Shipping, the owner of the ship, could confirm the cost of damage caused by the oil spill.
Mauritius declared a state of ‘environmental distress’ after the accident on Friday.
An image shows an oil spill after bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a reef, near Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius [Reuben Pillay/Reubsvision.mu/Via Reuters]
French and Japanese help
PM Jugnauth said the game “represents a danger” to the country of 1.3 million people heavily dependent on tourism and hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan will send a six-person disaster relief team at the request of the Mauritius government to help end the game, according to a statement from Japan’s Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday.
“We hope this assistance will help restore Mauritius’ environment and prevent marine pollution,” the statement said.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday that his country had sent aid from the neighboring island of Reunion, a French overseas territory.
A military aircraft equipped with pollution control equipment would make two flights over the spill site, while a naval aircraft would also carry bombs and absorbents, authorities in Reunion said.
Mauritius also called on the United Nations for urgent assistance, including experts in containment of oil storms and environmental protection.
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