MUSCAT: After a ship ran aground inside a restricted maritime area in June, prompting calls for action from environmentalists, Oman announced on Monday that it was attempting to contain an oil spill off its southern coast.
It comes after an AFP investigation revealed that the Caroline Bezengi was rocked by explosions and had been stuck for weeks close to Al-Qibliyyah island. According to its most recent research, the continuous spill has impacted almost 390 square kilometers, the Oman Environment Authority stated on Monday.
The slick was centered near the Hallaniyat archipelago off the southern coast of Oman, where a marine reserve was created the previous year to safeguard delicate ecosystems that support a variety of marine life, including endangered sea turtles.
To preserve the region’s biodiversity, which includes “coral reefs, turtle nesting areas, marine habitats, and coastal areas of ecological importance,” the nation’s environment authorities said quick action was required. According to a report in the state-sponsored Oman News Agency, a transport ministry official stated that officials had dispatched divers and were conducting airborne monitoring.
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