🔻 Oman steps in to contain an oil spill on its southern coasts

The Omani government announced on Monday that it is working to contain an oil spill in the waters off its southern coasts. The oil spill into the sea water occurred after, about two months ago, an oil tanker ran aground in a marine protected area. Environmental activists have called for urgent action.

Omani officials have not yet identified the cause of the oil spill from this tanker. However, the British maritime security company Vanguard told the French news agency last week that the tanker was targeted by explosions in early June while it was moving near the coasts of Yemen, and that water entered several parts of the vessel as a result.

Greenpeace, an environmental advocacy group, told the French news agency that the oil spill is on the verge of becoming an environmental disaster. They claimed that the tanker was carrying about one million barrels of crude oil.