The Daily Standard
World News
This photo provided by the French Defense Ministry shows oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius,, Sunday Aug.9, 2020. The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has declared a "state of environmental emergency" after the Japanese-owned ship that ran aground offshore days ago began spilling tons of fuel. (Gwendoline Defente/EMAE via AP)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Urgent efforts increased in Mauritius on Monday to empty a stranded Japanese ship of an estimated 2,500 tons of oil before the vessel breaks up and increases the contamination of the island's once-pristine Indian Ocean coastline.
Already more than 1,000 tons of fuel has washed up on the eastern coast of Mauritius, polluting its coral reefs, protected lagoons and shoreline.
High winds and waves are pounding the MV Wakashio, which was showing signs of splitting apart and dumping its remaining cargo oil into the waters surrounding Mauritius. The bulk carrier ran aground on a coral reef two weeks ago.
"We are expecting the worst," Mauritian Wildlife Foundation manager Jean Hugues Gardenne said.
"The ship is showing really big, big cracks. We believe it will break into two at any time, at the maximum within two days," Gardenne said. "So much oil remains in the ship, so the disaster could become much worse. It's important to remove as much oil as possible. Helicopters are taking out the fuel little by little, ton by ton."
French experts arrived from the nearby island of Reunion and were deploying booms to try to contain any new oil spill, Gardenne said. France sent a navy ship, military aircraft and technical advisers after Mauritius appealed for international help Friday.
This photo taken and provided by Sophie Seneque, shows oil polluting the foreshore of the public beach in Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, Saturday Aug. 8, 2020, after it leaked from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius are working around the clock to reduce the damage done to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef. Shipping officials said an estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship's cargo of 4 tons has escaped into the sea. Workers were trying to stop more oil from leaking, but with high winds and rough seas on Sunday there were reports of new cracks in the ship's hull. (Sophie Seneque via AP)
"The booms should be in place within hours, which we hope will help to protect the coastline from further damage," he said. The booms will boost the improvised barriers that thousands of volunteers in Mauritius created from fabric tubes stuffed with straw and sugar cane leaves.
Amid the rough seas, efforts were also underway to get other ships close enough to pump large amounts of oil out of the MV Wakashio.
"The danger of the ship breaking into two is increasing hour by hour," environmental consultant Sunil Dowarkasing, a former member of parliament in Mauritius, said. "The cracks have now reached the base of the ship and there is still a lot of fuel on the ship. Two ships are headed to the site so that fuel can be pumped into them, but it is very difficult."
The ship ran aground on July 25 but work to remove the oil it was carrying only started last week when the hull cracked and started emptying the fuel into the sea, according to Dowarkasing.
This satellite image provided by 2020 Maxar Technologies on Saturday Aug. 8, 2020, shows an aerial view of the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Anxious residents of the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius stuffed fabric sacks with sugar cane leaves Saturday to create makeshift oil spill barriers as tons of fuel leaking from a grounded ship put endangered wildlife in further peril. The government has declared an environmental emergency and France said it was sending help from its nearby Reunion island. Satellite images showed a dark slick spreading in the turquoise waters near wetlands that the government called "very sensitive." (2020 Maxar Technologies via AP)
The MV Wakashio's owner, Nagashiki Shipping, said Monday that two ships arrived at the scene to pump oil from the endangered vessel. "A hose connection has been successfully established ... and the transfer of fuel oil is underway," said the company in a statement. It said it is working with Mauritian authorities "to mitigate the spill. The primary focus at this time is reducing the effects of the spill and protecting the environment."
Pressure is mounting on the government of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to explain why it did not take immediate action to avert the environmental disaster. Jugnauth has declared the oil spill a national emergency, but some residents say he acted too late.
The opposition and activists are calling for the resignation of the environment and fisheries ministers. Volunteers have ignored a government order to leave the clean-up operation to local officials.
Japan said Sunday it would send a six-member expert team to assist.
This photo taken and provided by Eric Villars shows oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Anxious residents of the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius are stuffing fabric sacks with sugar cane leaves to create makeshift oil spill barriers as tons of fuel leak from a grounded ship. The government has declared an environmental emergency and France says it is sending help from its nearby Reunion island. (Eric Villars via AP)
This photo taken and provided by Sophie Seneque, shows oil in Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, Sunday Aug. 9, 2020, after it leaked from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius are working around the clock to reduce the damage done to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef. Shipping officials said an estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship's cargo of 4 tons has escaped into the sea. Workers were trying to stop more oil from leaking, but with high winds and rough seas on Sunday there were reports of new cracks in the ship's hull. (Sophie Seneque via AP)
This photo taken and provided by Sophie Seneque, shows debris in Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, Sunday Aug. 9, 2020, after it leaked from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius are working around the clock to reduce the damage done to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef. Shipping officials said an estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship's cargo of 4 tons has escaped into the sea. Workers were trying to stop more oil from leaking, but with high winds and rough seas on Sunday there were reports of new cracks in the ship's hull. (Sophie Seneque via AP)
This photo taken and provided by Sophie Seneque, shows a boom, a temporary floating barrier used to contain the oil spill in Mahebourg Waterfront, Mauritius, Saturday Aug. 8, 2020, after it leaked from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius are working around the clock to reduce the damage done to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef. Shipping officials said an estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship's cargo of 4 tons has escaped into the sea. Workers were trying to stop more oil from leaking, but with high winds and rough seas on Sunday there were reports of new cracks in the ship's hull. (Sophie Seneque via AP)
This photo taken and provided by Sophie Seneque, shows debris in Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, Sunday Aug. 9, 2020, after it leaked from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius are working around the clock to reduce the damage done to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef. Shipping officials said an estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship's cargo of 4 tons has escaped into the sea. Workers were trying to stop more oil from leaking, but with high winds and rough seas on Sunday there were reports of new cracks in the ship's hull. (Sophie Seneque via AP)
This photo provided by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation Ministry shows oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius, Monday Aug. 10, 2020. The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has declared a "state of environmental emergency" after the Japanese-owned ship that ran aground offshore days ago began spilling tons of fuel. (Nik Cole/Mauritian Wildlife Foundation via AP)
