In Pictures

In Pictures: Oil spill threatens ecological disaster in Mauritius

Greenpeace said the spill likely to be one of the most terrible ecological crises in Mauritius.

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 — Oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, the bulk carrier that ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. [Eric Villars via AP Photo]

Fuel 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.

The MV Wakashio, owned by the Nagashiki Shipping Company, struck the reef on Mauritius’s southeast coast on July 25.

On Thursday, the government said fuel was leaking from a crack in the vessel’s hull, and Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth declared a state of environmental emergency, pleading for international help.

Environmental group Greenpeace said the spill was to likely to be one of the worst ecological crises Mauritius has ever seen.

“Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’s economy, food security and health,” Greenpeace said in a statement.

France was sending specialist teams and equipment to help Mauritius deal with the spill, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

Nagashiki Shipping Company said it had tried to free the tanker, but the effort was hampered by persistent bad weather.

The tanker is grounded in what the environment ministry has described as a sensitive zone, with the leaking fuel endangering the diverse marine life that attracts tourists from around the world.

Mauritius, famous for its pristine beaches, is popular with tourists who last year contributed 63 billion Mauritius rupees ($1.6bn) to the economy.

epa08593341 Local volunteers clean up oil washing up on the beach from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship which is leaking oil as it recently ran aground off the southe — Local volunteers clean up oil washing up on the beach. [Laura Morosoli/EPA]

epa08593348 Local volunteers clean up oil washing up on the beach from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship which is leaking oil as it recently ran aground off the southe — Environmental group Greenpeace said the spill was to likely to be one of the worst ecological crises Mauritius has ever seen. [Laura Morosoli/EPA]

epa08593795 Local volunteers make absorbent barriers of straw stuffed into fabric sacks to contain oil from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship which is leaking oil as i — Local volunteers make absorbent barriers of straw stuffed into fabric sacks to try and contain the spill. [Laura Morosoli/EPA]

epaselect epa08593344 Local volunteers clean up oil washing up on the beach from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship which is leaking oil as it recently ran aground off — The ship was sailing from China to Brazil when it hit coral reefs near Pointe d'Esny on July 25. [Laura Morosoli/EPA]

epaselect epa08593345 A general view of oil washed up on a beach from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship which is leaking oil as it recently ran aground off the southea — Oil continues to leak from the grounded ship and the resulting oil slick is drifting northwest around Ile aux Aigrettes island and towards Mahebourg. [Laura Morosoli/EPA]

epa08593830 Local volunteers clean up oil washing up on the beach from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship which is leaking oil as it recently ran aground off the southe — France will send specialist teams and equipment to help Mauritius deal with the spill. [Laura Morosoli/EPA]

epa08593590 An aerial photograph shows oil drifting ashore over coral reefs from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of — Mauritius and its 1.3 million inhabitants depend on the sea for ecotourism, having fostered a reputation as a conservation success story and a world-class destination for nature lovers. [Pierre Dalais/EPA]

epaselect epa08593163 An aerial photograph shows the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship (top) leaking oil as it recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius, 0 — The spill is a double blow for tourist operators who had hoped foreign tourists could soon return to Mauritius, which currently has no active case of the novel coronavirus. [Pierre Dalais/EPA]