Mauritius declares state of emergency, fears grounded ship leaking oil will cause environmental crisis

Boat operators, fishers and the public have been urged to stay away from beaches in southeast Mauritius as a carrier that has run aground continues to leak oil.

Bystanders look at MV Wakashio bulk carrier that had run aground and from which oil is leaking near Blue Bay Marine Park in south-east Mauritius Source: AFP

The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has declared a "state of environmental emergency" after a Japanese-owned ship that ran aground offshore days ago began spilling tons of fuel.

Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced the development on Friday as satellite images showed a dark slick spreading in the turquoise waters near environmental areas that the government called "very sensitive".

Mauritius has said the MV Wakashio was carrying nearly 3600 tonnes of fuel and cracks have appeared in its hull.

Mr Jugnauth said his government had appealed to France for help, saying the spill "represents a danger" for the country of some 1.3 million people that relies heavily on tourism and has been hit hard by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Oil leaks from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius Source: Georges de La Tremoille/MU press

Video posted online showed oily waters lapping at the shore as people murmured and peered at the ship in the distance. Online ship trackers showed the Panama-flagged bulk carrier had been en route from China to Brazil.

The French island of Reunion is the closest neighbour to Mauritius, and France's Foreign Ministry says France is Mauritius' leading foreign investor and one of its largest trading partners.

A French statement on Saturday said a military transport aircraft would carry pollution control equipment to Mauritius and a navy vessel with additional material would set sail for the island nation.

After the cracks in the hull were detected, a salvage team that had been working on the ship was evacuated, Ramano told reporters on Thursday. Some 400 sea booms have been deployed in an effort to contain the spill.

Government statements this week said the ship ran aground 25 July and the National Coast Guard received no distress call.

The ship's owners were listed as the Japanese companies Okiyo Maritime Corporation and Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd.

A police inquiry has been opened into issues such as possible negligence, a government statement said.

Tonnes of diesel and oil are now leaking into the water, environmental group Greenpeace Africa's climate and energy manager Happy Khambule said in a statement.

"Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d'Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius' economy, food security and health," Khambule said.

Satellite image shows the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius Source: MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES

A government environmental outlook released nearly a decade ago said Mauritius had a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan but equipment on hand was "adequate to deal with oil spills of less than 10 metric tonnes."

In case of major spills, it said, assistance could be obtained from other Indian Ocean countries or from international oil spill response organisations.