The ship was sailing empty, but it was carrying 200 tons of diesel and 3,800 tons of fuel oil. All attempts to stabilize the vessel failed. Author
The ship was sailing empty, but it was carrying 200 tons of diesel and 3,800 tons of fuel oil. All attempts to stabilize the vessel failed.
Mauritian authorities announced on Thursday that hydrocarbons had been leaking from a bulk carrier stranded on a reef since late July on the island’s southeast coast, raising fears of an environmental disaster. The Ministry of the Environment of Mauritius announced in a press release that they were informed on Thursday of the existence of a “crack on board the MV Wakashio” and an “oil leak”. He asked the public not to go to the beaches and lagoons surrounding the area.
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On Thursday, it could be seen running away from the bulk carrier, which had been stranded on the reef since July 25, after it began to give way on its stern and take on water. The ship, which belonged to a Japanese shipowner but sailed under the Panamanian flag, was sailing empty but carrying 200 tons of diesel and 3,800 tons of heavy oil, according to local media. Its crew was evacuated.
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Fears for the environment
This failed at pointe d’esny, a Ramsar-classified wetland, as is the Blue Bay Marine Park near it, which is also under threat. Those two localities are protected by control systems, the ministry said. “We are in a situation of ecological crisis,” Mauritian Environment Minister Kavy Ramano admitted at a press conference.
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“This is the first time we are faced with such a disaster, and we are not equipped enough to deal with this problem,” added Fisheries Minister Sudheer Maudhoo. The Mauritian government has therefore turned to the French authorities of the neighboring island of Reunion for help, he said.
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According to the two ministers, all attempts to stabilize the ship were unsuccessful due to bad conditions at sea. Efforts to extract hydrocarbons have also so far proved unsuccessful. Environmentalists fear that the ship will finally rupture, which could lead to the release of even more important hydrocarbons and monumental damage in the sea and on the coast. Very popular for its lagoons and heavenly beaches, Mauritius is the mecca of international tourism.
Updated date: August 7, 2020, 7:58 p.m
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: newstars.edu.vn