{"id":49085,"date":"2021-08-05T15:49:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T13:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=49085"},"modified":"2022-04-19T14:03:31","modified_gmt":"2022-04-19T12:03:31","slug":"mauritius-worst-environmental-disaster-one-year-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/49085\/mauritius-worst-environmental-disaster-one-year-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Mauritius one year after oil disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A year on, questions surrounding a massive oil spill from a bulk carrier near the island nation\u2019s shores remain.<\/h4>\n\n
\"Mauritius
The scene of the oil spill in the waters around Mauritius after Japanese bulk carrier, MV Wakashio, ran aground on 25 July 2020.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

At 1am on July 25, 2020, in Tokyo, Junichiro Ikeda, then-CEO of shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL)<\/a>, was most likely already in bed. At the same time in London, Bernard Looney, CEO of British Petroleum (BP), was probably enjoying a most pleasant weekend. Both probably had a rather routine day, in many ways a forgettable one.<\/p>\n\n

However, for the 1.2 million inhabitants of Mauritius, it did not turn out quite the same way. On a somewhat cloudy evening, the island nation was struck by the worst environmental disaster in its history<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

The Wakashio, one of the world\u2019s largest capesize bulk carriers, was making its way from China to Brazil, passing through the Indian Ocean<\/a>. As it was approaching the southern coast of Mauritius, it ran aground onto a coral reef. A few days later, the giant vessel, operated by MOL, began leaking its fuel<\/a>, supplied by BP, into a pristine lagoon within the maritime borders of the East African country.<\/p>\n\n

As the ship slowly broke apart in the middle of August, Mauritius\u2019s waters and shorelines became drenched in almost 1,000 tonnes of toxic fuel, destroying the livelihood of countless fishermen and tourism workers. Thousands risked their health as they fought the oil spill often with their own bare hands and built protective booms made from their own hair<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

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A thread \u2935

6 months ago, the Japanese vessel MV Wakashio began leaking fuel after crashing into an incredibly fragile coral reef near Mauritius.https:\/\/t.co\/g96hopOSUd<\/a>

\ud83d\udcf7: Rajiv Chroochurn#MauritiusOilSpill<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iQHUZANQGI<\/a><\/p>— Greenpeace International (@Greenpeace) February 6, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>