This aerial view taken on August 6, 2020 shows a large patch of leaked oil from the vessel MV Wakashio, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, that ran aground near Blue Bay Marine Park off the coast of south-east Mauritius.PORT LOUIS - Thousands of Mauritians raced to contain a catastrophic oil spill swamping its pristine ocean and beaches on Sunday as frustration mounts over why more wasn't done to prevent the ecological disaster.
Japan said Sunday it would send a six-member expert team to assist, joining France which dispatched a naval vessel and military aircraft from nearby Reunion Island after Mauritius issued an appeal for international help. "We are terribly sorry," the shipping firm's vice president, Akihiko Ono, told reporters in Tokyo, promising to "make all-out efforts to resolve the case".But conservationists say the damage could already be done.
The opposition has called for the resignation of the environment and fisheries ministers, while volunteers have ignored an official order to leave the clean-up operation to local authorities, donning rubber gloves to sift through the sludge. Police said Sunday they would execute a search warrant granted by a Mauritius court to board the Wakashio and seize items of interest, including the ship's log book and communication as part of its investigation into the accident.Penguins under threat due to oil spill
Ecologists fear if the ship further breaks it could inflict a potentially fatal blow to on the island nation's coastline.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Owners apologise for freighter leaking oil off Mauritius coastThe Japanese owner of a cargo ship leaking oil off the coast of Mauritius apologised on Saturday for the threat to the environment and promised to do its utmost to contain the spill. MauritiusOilSpill
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »
Oil spill threatens ecological disaster as Mauritius declares emergencyFuel spilling from a Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius two weeks ago is creating an ecological disaster, endangering corals, fish and other marine life around the Indian Ocean island, officials and environmentalists say.
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »
Oil spill threatens ecological disaster as Mauritius declares emergencyFuel spilling from a Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius two weeks ago is creating an ecological disaster, endangering corals, fish and other marine life around the Indian Ocean island, officials and environmentalists say.
Source: SowetanLIVE - 🏆 13. / 63 Read more »
Mauritius declares emergency as oil spill creates ecological disasterFuel spilling from a Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius two weeks ago is creating an ecological disaster, endangering corals, fish and other marine life around the Indian Ocean island.
Source: SundayTimesZA - 🏆 47. / 51 Read more »
Source: ewnupdates - 🏆 30. / 53 Read more »
Source: eNCA - 🏆 49. / 51 Read more »