Each island has enough trouble. The oil spill caused by a bulk carrier off the coast of Mauritius, and which the atoll suffers the full force, should spare Reunion, some 200 kilometers away, and a weather threatened by fuel oil. It is the half-happy, half-bitter announcement of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces on Monday, which deployed means to deal with the sinking.
"The use of the simulation tool" Mothy "made it possible to model the hypotheses of drift of oil slicks according to their nature and the environmental conditions in the area," the ministry said in a statement.
Mass shipment of material
“The results show that at this stage, the Reunion coast is not threatened,” he added. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces sent more than 20 tons of equipment and a dozen experts by plane and boat from Réunion to try to stem the oil spill.
These resources include 1,300 meters of floating booms, pumping equipment and protective equipment. The Wakashio, owned by a Japanese company but flying the Panamanian flag, was carrying 3,800 tonnes of heavy oil and 200 tonnes of diesel when it struck a reef on July 25.
Fearful reefs
More than 1,000 tons of fuel have already been spilled at sea and the ship is now threatening to break, raising fears of an even more serious ecological disaster in this protected maritime space.
The reef struck by the Wakashio on the southeast coast of Mauritius is an ecological gem known for its internationally listed conservation sites, turquoise waters and protected wetlands.
Mauritius has the most beautiful coral reefs in the world and is a sanctuary for rare and endemic fauna. Its 1.3 million people depend on its waters for food and economy.
World
Mauritius: The island in "state of environmental emergency" as a stranded boat threatens to break
Planet
Oil spill in Mauritius: Macron announces the sending of teams and equipment from Reunion
- Reunion Island
- Oil spill
- World
- Mauritius