Oil leaking from a grounded tanker has reached beaches in Oman’s southeastern Ras Madrakah area, prompting a containment operation along the affected coastline, the Environment Authority said.
The authority said on Wednesday the spill from the tanker near Al-Qibliya Island could eventually affect up to 40 kilometres of coastline.
It also warned that beaches on the southern side of Masirah Island could be affected in the coming hours.
Response teams mobilise
Specialised teams are working to contain the oil and reduce its environmental impact, according to Oman’s Environment Authority.
Officials urged fishermen, beachgoers and other members of the public to avoid contact with visible oil pollution and report any contamination to authorities.
The International Maritime Organization also confirmed that oil from the vessel had begun reaching the Omani mainland.
The crude oil tanker Caroline Bezengi ran aground off Oman on June 30 while carrying approximately 130,000 tonnes of oil, according to the UN shipping agency.
Authorities are monitoring the coastline and assessing the extent of the contamination as response operations continue.
Omani authorities have not yet identified the cause of the spill. But British maritime security company Vanguard told AFP last week that the tanker was rocked by explosions in early June as it sailed off the coast of Yemen, causing water to enter several sections of the vessel.
Advocacy groups said that the spill was on the verge of causing an "environmental disaster", saying the tanker was carrying around one million barrels of crude.
