Large cracks have reportedly appeared in the hull of a cargo ship leaking oil in Mauritius, prompting the prime minister to warn it may “break in two”.
The MV Wakashio, believed to have been carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil, ran aground on a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on 25 July.
High winds of 50km/h (31mph) have halted the clean-up operation.
Mauritius is home to world-renowned coral reefs, and tourism is a crucial part of its economy.
Huge waves up to 5m in height are expected in the coming hours, posing yet more difficulties to teams working to remove the oil and avert an ecological disaster.
Until bad weather put the mission on hold, fuel was being transferred to shore by helicopter and to another ship owned by the same Japanese firm, Nagashiki Shipping.
Former colonial ruler France has sent a military aircraft with pollution control equipment from its nearby island of Réunion, while Japan has sent a six-member team to assist the French efforts.
The Mauritius coast guard and several police units are also at the site in the south-east of the island.
Source: bbc.com
The post Mauritius oil spill: Fears vessel may ‘break in two’ as cracks appear appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS