Mauritius’ Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Wednesday said almost all the remaining oil left on the damaged Japanese ship, which caused a huge oil spill off the coast of Mauritius, has been removed, reported Reuters. More than 1,000 tonnes of fuel have leaked out of the ship and into the lagoon.
“At the time I’m talking to you, almost all the oil has been removed from the ship,” Jugnauth told reporters.
The prime minister’s office said all fuel had been removed from tanks, but there was some residue in parts of the ship. There had been fears that the ship could break up, spilling even more oil into the sea.
The ship, MV Wakashio, ran aground at Pointe d’Esny in late July, and oil began leaking from it last Thursday. The ship is owned by Nagashiki Shipping and operated by Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.
The ship is believed to have been carrying around 4,000 tonnes of fuel, of which nearly 1,200 tonnes have already spilled, according to the operator Mitsui OSK Lines.
The Mauritius government launched a huge clean-up operation from the shore with many local people volunteering to help. On August 7, nearly two weeks after the shipwreck, the government declared the incident a national emergency and appealed for international help.
It is feared that the oil spill could further affect businesses already reeling from the coronavirus epidemic and could cost jobs if the country’s most pristine beaches are spoiled.
The southeast coast where the oil spill happened is famous for snorkelling, kite surfing, sailing, sea flora and fauna.
Mauritius had closed its borders in March to stop the spread of coronavirus. The country has had only 344 cases of COVID-19, with 10 deaths.
Mauritius generated 63 billion rupees ($1.6 billion) from its Tourism industry last year. In May, the central bank said the nation had lost 12 billion rupees in foreign exchange due to the fall in tourism.
