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- The captain and first mate of the MW Wakashio, the ship grounded in 2020 off Mauritius coast in Indian Ocean that caused one of the worst oil spills were found guilty
- The Japanese bulk carrier ran aground on July 25, 2020 released more than 1,000 tons of fuel oil into its waters endangering the ecology and causing destructions to the marine wealth
- Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, the captain of the ship admitted during the hearing that he had been drinking during a party organized on board the ship.
The captain and first mate of the MW Wakashio, the ship grounded in 2020 off Mauritius coast in the Indian Ocean that caused one of the worst oil spills were found guilty. The Japanese bulk carrier ran aground on July 25, 2020 released more than 1,000 tons of fuel oil into its waters endangering the ecology and causing destruction to the marine wealth..
Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, the captain of the ship admitted during the hearing that he had been drinking during a party organized on board the ship. His first mate was Hitihanillage Subhoda Janendra Tilakaratna. They are nationals of India and Sri Lanka respectively. The wreckage “endangered the safety of navigation, according to a court in Port Louis. Their sentences will be pronounced later. The oil spill was hotly discussed across the world and demonstrations were held in the archipelago against the alleged inertia for bringing the culprits into book.
The MW Wakashio was en route from Singapore to Brazil, with 3,800 tons of fuel oil and 200 tons of diesel. Most of the leaked oil could be pumped out.
The captain, it appears, had consumed alcohol in moderation during a birthday party. He had given instructions to approach the Mauritian waters to establish the telephone network so that the crew members could contact their families. In their deposition, they maintained that the sea was bad but the visibility was clear and it was safe to navigate. At one point, the ship could not move and had touched the seabed. Under the influence of the drink, the captain could not interfere in the navigation of the ship to clear its way off. Both men apologized for their dereliction of duty, according to reports.
The oil spill was the worst marine pollution in the history of the country. Mauritius lays a lot of importance to keeping the marine wealth intact and promoting ecotourism.
