TESTIMONY
As the oil spill expands, the state of ecological emergency declared in Mauritius. 1,000 liters of fuel oil have already escaped from the cargo ship stranded on a reef 2 weeks ago, and the vessel is threatening to collapse, with 3,000 liters of fuel still in its tanks on the ship. Faced with the disaster, Mauritians are mobilizing to clean the beaches.
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"It's a nightmare. It's a blackish, thick substance. With the gloves I wore yesterday to be able to remove, it's hot, it's fuel", testifies Connie, who owns an inn in Mahebourg, on the coast, and participates in this great outpouring of solidarity.
"We can not count only on the authorities for help. We must manage as best we can," continues this Mauritian. "There are a lot of Mauritians who came to see the extent of the damage. And then there are those who came to lend a hand. All day, last night again, until 10 o'clock in the evening, they worked on the waterfront. "
"The whole of Mauritius is getting started!"
And to clean, all arm themselves with patience, and sometimes sketchy equipment. "People are wearing masks, they are wearing boots, some have had protective gear," says Connie. "We know it's going to take time, so we took it upon ourselves, we started removing. And believe me, it did us good to see the sand in front of our house again."
But what Connie remembers first is the union of the inhabitants. "The whole of Mauritius is getting involved! This solidarity is extraordinary. It's incredible, it's incredible," she smiles.