Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Saturday (August 15th) that Tokyo plans to send a team of ministry officials, and other specialists, to Mauritius to assess the damage caused. by the oil spill.

On July 25, a Japanese bulk carrier belonging to Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK Lines, struck a coral reef off Mauritius, dumping some 1,000 tonnes of oil there.

A serious crisis that could lead to a loss of biodiversity

By causing what some scientists call the country's worst environmental disaster, the accident helped trigger the state of "environmental emergency."

Shinjiro Koizumi also said he saw the oil spill as a serious crisis, which could lead to biodiversity loss.

The removal of the stranded vessel will be a delicate operation which will probably take several months. France has already declared that it will help clean up.

With Reuters

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