Rescue workers in Madagascar were battling to save a number of humpback whales that have beached on the southern tip of the island, where a fuel spill from a Turkish freighter has caused extensive pollution, local media reported on Thursday.
The MS Gulser Ana, which was bound for India with a cargo of 39 000 tonnes of phosphates, has leaked several hundred cubic metres of diesel and oil, as well as its cargo, since running into trouble on August 26 a few kilometres off the vast Indian Ocean island. The ship has since completely sunk.
The 23-member crew was rescued unharmed from the 189m-long ship, from which smoke was seen billowing at the time of the rescue. The cause of the incident is still unclear.
Several kilometres of the coastline, famous for its rich coral reefs, rare species of tortoise and the migrating humpback whales that pass by at this time of year en route to their breeding grounds off Reunion Island, have been polluted by the spillage.
L’Express reported that veterinarians were trying to save a number of beached whales, whose blowholes had become blocked with diesel and oil and were close to death.
Fish have also been washing up dead along the coast.
The ship was reportedly on a blacklist of ships banned from European Union harbours.
About 800 people, including nine foreign experts in marine pollution with specialist equipment, have been sent to treat the oil slick and clean up the beaches.
The government of the impoverished island, where fishing and tourism are key employers, has threatened to sue the ship’s owners over the spill. — Sapa-dpa