Now Reading: Oil spill from grounded tanker off Oman spreads rapidly
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Oil spill from grounded tanker off Oman spreads rapidly
Crude oil from the grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi has created a slick covering nearly 400 sq km off Oman's southwest coast, the country's government said on Monday. The vessel, carrying close to…
The Story in Brief
Crude oil from the grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi has created a slick covering nearly 400 sq km off Oman's southwest coast, the country's government said on Monday. The vessel, carrying close to a million barrels of Russian oil, has been stranded since June after an onboard explosion. Environmental group Greenpeace earlier estimated the spill at about 600 sq km, citing satellite imagery. The area is part of a marine reserve home to endangered Arabian Sea humpback whales and Socotra cormorants.
Oman said it is monitoring the leak via satellite and field surveys, with teams ready to implement necessary procedures. But analysts say no salvage activity has been visible in publicly available satellite images. The tanker, part of Russia's 'shadow fleet', is sanctioned by the EU, UK, and others. Its owners are believed to be China-based, and the ship lacks Western insurance cover.
The Indian Opinion
The competing spill-size figures from Oman’s government and Greenpeace show how hard it is to get a clear picture in a crisis. Each side has its own incentive: the government downplays risk to reassure locals, while the environmental group needs drama to force action. Neither is lying outright, but the gap, 390 sq km versus 600 sq km, matters for the response. The real test will be whether Oman allows an independent survey of the vessel’s hull. Without that, we are guessing at how much crude is still inside and how fast it will leak.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
