In a press conference early this evening, the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Crisis Committee, Pravin Jugnauth announced that nearly all of the Wakashio’s payload of heavy oil had been pumped out of the bulk carrier. Salvage operations have therefore succeeded in averting a much more serious ecological disaster, the Prime Minister added.
As he spoke, of the 4,180 metric tons of heavy oil, 3,184 had been removed from the tanks and 166 metric tons were still being removed. 570 cubic meters of spilled hydrocarbon and 150 tons of waste had already been skimmed and pumped out of the lagoons.The cracks on the hull of the bulk carrier continued to worsen and it is now looking even more likely that the ship will soon break in two.
On the other hand, members of the diplomatic corps met today at the ministry of foreign affairs and came forward to support Mauritius in its efforts to address its ecological challenges, by providing expertise and anti-pollution equipment.
