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Crews Rush to Contain Oil Spill Off Mauritius Before Tanker Falls Apart

Crews are racing to contain an oil spill from a tanker ship that ran aground off the island of Mauritius before the vessel breaks apart. The August 12 video shows a helicopter and personnel clearing the water off Pointe d’Esny.

Mauritian prime minister Pravind Jugnauth said in a press conference on Wednesday that around 3,000 of the 4,000 tons of oil from the bulk carrier stranded on the reefs of Pointe d’Esny had been pumped out of the vessel’s fuel reservoirs, local media reported.

It’s estimated that the Japanese-owned tanker ship Wakashio, which ran aground off the coast in late July, leaked 1,300 tons of crude oil into the ocean.

The Wakashio hit a coral reef along the island’s southeastern coast in July. High winds and waves battered the ship, causing it to crack. The cleanup effort is underway to remove the remaining oil on the ship before the vessel completely breaks apart. Credit: Reuben Pillay via Storyful