Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth stated that best efforts are being deployed to contain and prevent further oil spillage. He added that the operations currently being conducted by Mauritian Authorities, private sector operators and friendly countries who answered the call, are delicate, risky and seriously challenged by current weather conditions. A crisis committee and several sub-committees have been set up to manage what the Prime Minister called, an unprecedented ecological crisis for Mauritius.
Several countries have responded to Mauritius’s call for help including France (Reunion Island), South Africa and India.
The Prime Minister also commended the efforts of the local community and NGOs who are doing their best to help. He said that these actions need to be coordinated by the authorities to ensure effectiveness. Containment booms are being deployed to protect the lagoons and the shores.
The Prime Minister confirmed that oil is seeping from a breached tank that contained 1,183 metric tons of oil. The other tanks of the bulk carrier do not seem to have been damaged, but real risks exist with the current weather conditions.
Efforts are currently underway to pump oil from the tanks.
