Mauritius, an island nation off the east African coast, is currently suffering a devastating oil spill contaminating their waters. A large Japanese cargo ship by the name of the MV Wakashio, struck a coral reef in Mauritius on July 25th and has since put the Indian Ocean in perilous risk.
What We Know:
- According to a report by Reuters, Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, pleaded for international help after declaring a state of environmental emergency on Thursday. “The sinking of the Wakashio represents a danger for Mauritius,” Jugnauth stated.
- Oil spills into large bodies of water, such as oceans, have been widely known to be some of the worst ecological disasters to happen to the environment. Environmental group, Greenpeace, spoke out to confirm that this spill will most likely become the worst ecological crisis in Mauritius history alone.
- Several images of the wreckage have been released since Friday. They all show the vast quantity of the oil that leaked from the ship and to the extent its spread already. The fuel can be seen invading the beautiful turquoise water, with some already washing ashore.
- MV Wakashio’s condition has gotten considerably worst since Saturday, and later that very afternoon, the stern section of the cargo ship broke apart. Shinjiro Koizumi, Japanese Environmental Minister, will reportedly send a team of officials from the agency to address the incident.
- In a statement by the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as of August 11th, “approximately 800-900 tons of fuel oil had leaked from a breached tank and drifted into the lagoon surrounding Pointe d’Esny”.
- In light of Mauritius’ plea for help, both France and India answered the call and offered their assistance. India sent roughly over 30 tons of equipment via aircraft to assist with the cleanup process. A highly skilled team of 10 Indian coast guard officials have also been dispatched to help the Mauritius government.
Moreover, the French navy sent out military aircrafts which are also carrying specified equipment to deal with the mass pollution. Scientists have already noted that the impact of this spill will greatly impact Mauritius and its economy, which heavily relies on tourism, for decades to come.
