Sanctioned Tanker Leaks Oil into Protected Waters off Oman
A satellite image has revealed an oil leak spreading from a sanctioned tanker near Oman's coast. The Caroline Bezengi, a 899-foot Cameroon-flagged vessel, has been stranded off Oman's southern coast since June after its crew reported an onboard explosion.
According to Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert with the Dutch peace organization PAX, the leak has worsened in recent days. He estimated that the tanker is carrying more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil and said recent imagery suggests at least one section of the hull has been breached.
The spill threatens a protected marine reserve in the Arabian Sea that is home to endangered petrels and other rare wildlife. Greenpeace Germany warned that oil has already polluted stretches of coastline and damaged the area's fragile ecosystem.
Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology ordered the vessel's owners to remove the ship and its cargo by July 23. It is unclear whether that deadline was met or whether the owners have responded.