Leaking tanker off Omani coast is sinking deeper, satellite images show
BEIRUT (AP) — Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show that a sanctioned tanker carrying nearly a million barrels of oil appears to be increasingly submerged in water off the coast of Oman, where it has been grounded for weeks, while leaking ever more oil into the surrounding sea. Crude oil has been leaking and spreading quickly in recent days from the tanker…
Satellite images have revealed that a sanctioned tanker carrying nearly a million barrels of oil is sinking deeper off the coast of Oman, leaking increasing amounts of crude into the surrounding sea. The tanker, named Caroline Bezengi, has been grounded for weeks and is situated near Qibliyah Island on Oman's southwest coast. The oil spill has expanded significantly, covering nearly 800 square kilometers as of August 7, according to Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert from Dutch organization PAX.
Greenpeace Germany's Nina Noelle reports that the spill has grown from 45 square kilometers on July 26 to around 600 square kilometers by August 4.
The affected area is part of the Arabian Sea reserve, a marine protected zone housing endangered wildlife, such as petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale. The 247-meter tanker was grounded off Qibliyah Island in southwest Oman for two months after an explosion on board on June 8. The vessel is believed to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet" and has been sanctioned by the British government and the European Union for transporting Russian oil.
It departed from Russia's Novorossiysk port in May, as per geospatial data from SynMax Maritime. The ship's owners are reportedly from Shanghai, according to Greenpeace and other sources. Satellite images on August 5 show an oil sheen trailing northeast of the tanker, grounding off the rocky coastline, and surrounding the island.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
