Oil Spill Incident off Mauritius Coast: Local Police Launch Investigation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On the 10th, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that local police boarded a Japanese vessel that ran aground off the coast of the African Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, causing a heavy oil spill, and collected items relevant to the accident investigation.

According to the report, the vessel that ran aground off the coast of Mauritius is the chartered cargo ship Wakashio, owned by Nagasaki Kaiun and operated by Shosen Mitsui. It is known that foreign crew members who were on board for investigation accompanied the local police.

The Wakashio was en route from China to Brazil, and the accident site was initially identified as a location with a high risk of grounding. However, the reason for passing through a route with a high possibility of grounding has not yet been revealed.

Local police are said to have recovered the ship, devices recording external communications, and the ship's logbook to investigate the incident.

At the time of the accident, the Wakashio was confirmed to be carrying about 3,800 tons of heavy oil in five fuel tanks. One tank containing 1,180 tons was damaged.

More than 1,000 tons of oil have already leaked, raising concerns about environmental pollution.

Mauritius is famous for its beautiful coral reefs and emerald-colored sea, known as a honeymoon destination. In particular, the accident site is near the Blue Bay Marine Park protected area, known for its diverse rare species, and is designated as a conservation zone. Accordingly, it is expected that Mauritius's marine ecosystem will inevitably suffer a significant blow to its tourism industry.

The Mauritius authorities declared an environmental emergency and requested support from France, as Mauritius lacks the technology and experts to respond to the accident.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his willingness to assist via Twitter, stating, "It is time to act as the natural ecosystem is at risk."

On the 9th, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to dispatch an expert team of six members called the "International Emergency Assistance Team," including four oil spill response experts from the Coast Guard, and one staff member each from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Nagasaki Kaiun, the owner, stated, "We take responsibility for environmental pollution seriously and will make every effort with cooperating organizations and contractors to protect the marine environment and prevent further pollution."

Shosen Mitsui, the operator, also announced, "We will do our utmost to manage the accident response."