(3 minutes read)
· The grounded Japanese ship that spilled oil in the Indian Ocean near island nation of Mauritius has split apart
· The remaining fuel is now spreading into the blue waters surrounding the island. Oil barriers were in place and a skimmer ship was nearby
· The remaining 3,000 tons of fuel had been pumped off the ship in the past week. The oil slick has caused considerable damage to the coral reefs
The grounded Japanese ship that spilled oil in the Indian Ocean near the island nation of Mauritius has split apart. The remaining fuel is now spreading into the blue waters surrounding the island. Oil barriers were in place and a skimmer ship was nearby. The remaining 3,000 tons of fuel had been pumped off the ship in the past week. The oil slick has caused considerable damage to the coral reefs.
The MV Wakashio, the ill- fated cargo ship struck aground the reef on July 25. Its hull began to crack due to pounding waves due to inclement weather. Environmentalists say that over 1,000 tons of fuel began to leak since the mishap turning the nearby sea into turquoise color, masquerading its bluish color . The opposition parties are mounting pressure on the government for the delay in starting work on emptying the oil tanker before oil spread to the ocean. Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth had pointed out that bad weather was the reason for the slow response.
Nagashiki Shipping, which owns the ship, said that residual amounts of fuel remained on the ship after pumping. An investigation is underway to find out why the ship went off course. The ships while passing through, the rule is that, should stay at least 10 miles (16 kilometers) from shore.
