Oil leaking from the tanker Caroline Bezengi, which ran aground off the coast of Oman in June, has reached the shore. The Environment Authority of Oman announced that the oil has affected a coastline of approximately 40 kilometers along the shores of Ras Madrakah.
The authority reported that the southern shores of Masirah Island, located about 15 kilometers off the Omani coast, are also expected to be affected by the spill. According to the statement, pollution could be seen along a 10 to 20-kilometer stretch of the island's coastline.
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS WARN OF A LARGER SPILL
Environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, estimate that the spill may have spread over a wider area than indicated in official statements. Omani authorities had announced that the crude oil leaking from the tanker had formed a slick covering an area of approximately 400 square kilometers. Greenpeace, however, claimed that the oil covered an area of approximately 600 square kilometers.
The Caroline Bezengi, which was carrying approximately one million barrels of Russian oil bound for Asia, first reported experiencing problems off the coast of Yemen on June 8. While it is believed that an explosion may have occurred on board, the tanker has remained stationary near Oman's Hallaniyat Islands since that date.
Built in 2001, the Cameroon-flagged Caroline Bezengi is reported to have loaded cargo at Russia's Novorossiysk Port on the Black Sea in April and passed through the Suez Canal at the end of May. The tanker is mentioned as part of the "shadow fleet" used by Russia.
The Caroline Bezengi is among the vessels included on sanctions lists by the European Union, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Switzerland. It was reported that the monitoring and intervention efforts by Omani authorities in the field are being intensified, particularly in areas with high environmental sensitivity.
News Source: 12punto
