Chinanews, August 20th (Sweet) "God first created Mauritius, and then created paradise after Mauritius." Mark Twain's words gave this African island country unlimited dreaminess.

　　Thinking of the clean beaches, blue seas, and colorful creatures there, how can tourists from all over the world not yearn for it...

　　However, at the moment, this "pearl" in the Indian Ocean is experiencing ecological catastrophe!

　　The blue ocean became a "black bay", and fish and birds continued to die. Prime Minister Jagnarth declared that Mauritius has entered an "environmental emergency".

The Japanese freighter ran aground off the coast of Mauritius, with heavy black oil floating on the surface.

　　[ At least 1,000 tons of fuel leaked, and the blue ocean became "Black Bay" ]

　　Time set back to the end of July. Due to bad weather, the Japanese cargo ship Wakacho, carrying about 3,800 tons of fuel oil, ran aground in the waters southeast of Mauritius.

　　But no one expected that the cargo ship began to leak oil on August 6 and broke in two on the 15th.

　　As of now, at least 1,000 tons of fuel are expected to leak!

The stranded Japanese cargo ship split in half, and the sea near the hull was stained brown and turbid.

　　The oil spill continued to spread along the coast, emitting a strong, uncomfortable smell. The ocean near the broken hull was stained brown and turbid, in sharp contrast with the surrounding blue water.

　　Seabirds are struggling in the thick black oil, dead fish floating on the sea, corals that have lived there for hundreds of years, magnificent mangroves, the already critically endangered Mauritius pink pigeon... a variety of unique And the beautiful creatures on earth are all threatened to survive.

The carcass of a starfish was found by the sea after an oil spill occurred offshore Mauritius.

　　Mauritius, which relies heavily on tourism, has not yet breathed out from the impact of the new crown epidemic. Now it has encountered this unexpected ecological catastrophe, which is difficult to accept for a while.

　　The founder of the sustainable tourism agency "Mauritius Consciousness" Tello said that the coast where the oil spill occurred is famous for diving and kite surfing. But now, it is impossible to recommend tourists to go.

　　On August 7, Mauritian Prime Minister Jagnarth announced that the country had entered an "environmental emergency".

The picture shows the comparison images before the oil spill (left) and after the oil spill (right) in the sea area.

　　[ Who should pay for the disaster? Japan "cannot afford it"! 】

　　Who should "pay the bill" when Mauritius is in trouble?

　　The latest news is that the Indian captain and Sri Lankan deputy captain of the "Ruochao" have been arrested on suspicion of violating "Article 5 of the Pirate Maritime Act of 2011 endangering the safe navigation of the ship." If convicted, the two may face up to 60 years in prison.

　　The Mauritius government also issued a statement stating that it will pursue legal responsibility for losses and damage caused by environmental pollution.

The waters near the mangroves were "invaded" by leaked fuel oil.

　　According to Japan’s Kyodo News Agency, according to relevant international conventions, the compensation limit this time is about 2 billion yen (about 130 million yuan).

　　The report also said that the scene of the incident is an area where various creatures inhabit and is favored by tourists. The amount of damage identified may exceed 2 billion yen, but it is too difficult to compensate for all the damage.

　　Merchant Marine Mitsui, the operator of the "Ruochao", apologized for the oil spill. The owner of the ship, Changpu Steamship Company, Changpu Qingming, said: "We will respond in good faith based on applicable laws."

　　However, the matter has come to this point, and apologies and compensation are far from enough to make up for the ecological "pain" of Mauritius.

Data map: People play football on a beach in Mauritius.

　　[The ship ran aground because the crew wanted to connect to WiFi? 】

　　Regarding the cause of the stranding accident, the Mauritius police are still investigating.

　　It is reported that the cargo ship had changed course about 2 kilometers southeast of Mauritius, turned right about 90 degrees, and slowed down sharply. Experts pointed out that the cargo ship is likely to hit an obstacle at this location, which will cause it to hit the rocks.

　　The Mauritius police claimed that the captain and deputy captain of the cargo ship were suspected of negligence during the voyage.

　　The preliminary investigation by the police also said that on the day of the incident, a birthday party was being held for the crew on board. Another crew member said, "It’s close to land to connect to WiFi."

The picture shows a Japanese freighter stranded in Mauritius split in two.

　　[ May the ocean "paradise" no more sorrow ]

　　This ecological disaster affects the hearts of countless people.

　　Mauritian Environment Minister Ramano said on August 6 that since the discovery of a crack in the hull, about 400 floating objects have been placed on the grounded vessel to control the extent of the fuel leak.

　　Local people also spontaneously joined the cleaning operation. People made oil slicks with sugar cane leaves, plastic bottles, and voluntarily cut hair to float them on the sea. According to reports, the hair absorbs oil but not water.

　　After the catastrophe, Japan dispatched an emergency rescue team composed of experts from the Coast Guard to invest in oil pollution cleanup.

On August 10, local time, volunteers cleaned up oil in the polluted seawater.

　　In addition, some other countries in the world are also rushing to help Mauritius.

　　As one of Mauritius' "largest investors" and trading partners, the French government sent a navy ship and a military aircraft to assist in the response.

　　India dispatched a 10-man Coast Guard, rushing to the rescue with equipment such as oil booms, barges and oil skimmers.

　　The Mauritius Crisis Management Committee stated that it has recovered about 968 tons of oil pollution, 568 tons of solid pollutants, and 582 cubic meters of oil containment booms.

　　Mauritian Prime Minister Jagannath also announced that the oil pumping of cargo ships has ended. In addition, the removal of the stranded freighter has begun.

Volunteers collected spilled fuel from oil drums on the beach.

　　But some scientists pointed out that it will take decades to recover from this disaster, and some may never recover.

　　In addition to this disaster, looking at the world today, how many "man-made disasters" are hurting our common home-the earth?

　　As beings on the earth, when will human beings really learn lessons and learn to respect and be kind to other creatures? (Finish)