Viral Swing: Mauritius to scuttle oil-spill tanker, Japanese owner apologises

Thursday, 20 August 2020

Mauritius to scuttle oil-spill tanker, Japanese owner apologises

Mauritius said on Wednesday it planned to scuttle the Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off its shores and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs. The MV Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on Aug. 6, prompting the government to announce a state of environmental emergency. The spill spread over a vast area of endangered corals, affecting fish and other marine life in what some scientists have called the country's worst ecological disaster.