- The accident in Mauritius in July is the first in which a new type of low-sulfur marine fuel has entered the sea.
- Based on preliminary data from the Panamanian investigation, it appears that the accident was due to negligence and “excessive self-confidence”.
- According to an AMP release, the route deviation could be related to the birthday celebration of one staff member.
- The commander ordered to approach the coast of Mauritius to get the ship within range of the telephone and internet networks so that the crew could keep in touch with their family.
Environmental accidents The final damage from the Mauritius oil spill is still unclear – Preliminary investigation shows ship ran aground while searching for internet connection, writes Bhavi Mandalia for Pledge Times.
Panamanian report
According to the Panamanian report, the alert was issued by the Mauritian authorities.
The Mauritius Coast Guard tried to warn the ship five times before the ship ran aground, the Mauritian government said in a statement released at the end of August. in the bulletin. The Coast Guard had been monitoring the ship’s movements since it entered the Mauritius EEZ 200 miles off the coast.
According to the preliminary conclusions of the AMP, the accident could have been avoided by following good seafaring practice.
Master detained
At the time of the publication of the bulletin on 7 September, the Panamanian authorities had not yet been able to hear the master of the detainee in Mauritius and did not examine the ship’s VDR, which was also in the possession of the Mauritian police.
Wakashio got stuck in the reef, and later the ship broke in half. On the coast, it has only a stern left, as the bow and most of the hull were towed to the high seas and sunk in August.
Deliberate immersion
The bow was sunk in a secret location that was not revealed despite many inquiries, he says Forbes magazine. The remaining stern is also to be removed from the reef.
The deliberate immersion of the wreck has raised many objections. According to an agreement adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1972, deliberate dumping is the dumping of waste at sea, says Greenpeace’s Africa Department in August. in its opinion.
Oil spill and harsh criticism
Oil spill since then, the Mauritian government has received harsh criticism for the way it has handled the situation. The accident shocked many locals and caused a large portion of the population to volunteer to clean up the tracks.
In Mauritius tens of thousands of people have demonstrated against the government after the oil spill. Such widespread protests are rare in Mauritius.
Residents were shocked, for example, by the information the deaths of dozens of dolphins. The cause of death has not been established. In Mauritius, the cause is suspected to be either an oil spill or a bow immersion.
Cleaning to continue
In the footsteps cleaning up the coast of Mauritius will continue for a long time to come. The long-term effects of the leak will only be seen later.
The cleaning has been outsourced to a French and Greek company, says AFP. According to it, the clean-up is divided into four stages, and in some areas the second or third stage has already been reached.
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Source: Pledge Times
