Mauritius preparing for the ‘worst’ after oil leak
11th August 2020: The ship MV Wakashio ran around on a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on 25 July and its crew was evacuated. But reportedly, the large bulk carrier began leaking tons of fuel into the surrounding waters.
According to Baaghi TV, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced a “state of environmental emergency” on Friday.
The Prime Minister also reached out to France asking for help as the island nation does not have the skills and expertise to deal with such a situation. Additionally, the French island of reunion is near Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
Mauritius declares a state of emergency
Mauritius hosts the coral reef and is known for its tourism industry with mindblowing views and it’s warm inviting weather.
Happy Khambule of Greenpeace Africa said that “thousands” of animal species “are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security, and health.”
The ship was owned by a Japanese company but registered in Panama. It had 4000 tonnes of oil on board.
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Though the ship has now stopped leaking, it is predicted that a total of 1000 tonnes of the oil has been spilled. The prime minister has asked his country to prepare for the worst.
“We will do our utmost towards resolving the situation quickly,” Mitsui OSK said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that it doubted whether the incident would have a large enough impact on its earnings to warrant issuing a disclosure notice to investors.
The International Marine Organisation and UN have mobilized experts to look at the situation and to provide technical advice.
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