Oman says tanker oil spill contaminates mainland beaches
Oil leaking from a tanker grounded off the coast of Oman is not only endangering a nearby island but has now also reached beaches on the Gulf Arab country's mainland, to the north of the island, Oman's environment authority said.
Crude oil has been leaking from the tanker Caroline Bezengi, a sanctioned tanker believed to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet", which was carrying nearly a million barrels of oil when it reported an explosion in June. No party has claimed responsibility for the incident and the cause of the explosion has not been revealed.
Environmental experts said the spill has been spreading quickly in recent weeks from the partially submerged tanker off the shores of Qabiliyah Island, endangering a marine protected area there.
Oman's Environment Authority said it has been monitoring the leak and found that contamination has also reached the beaches of Ras Madrakah on mainland Oman, some 200 km north of Qabiliyah Island. Authorities also warned that the southern coasts of Masirah Island, over 300 km north of the submerged tanker's location, may also be affected in the coming hours.
The 899-foot Caroline Bezengi has been sanctioned by the British government and the European Union for carrying Russian oil. It left the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in Russia in May, according to geospatial data tracking company SynMax Maritime, and its owners are believed to be Shanghai-based.
Recent satellite images showed the spill covering an area of over 600 sq km, spreading quickly amid strong winds and currents of the monsoon season.
Oman, a sultanate on the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, has been a mediator in the ongoing war in Iran, which the United States and Israel launched on February 28.
