Leaking grounded oil tanker off Oman sinks further, satellite images show
- The tanker Caroline Bezengi is grounded off the coast of Oman and is leaking crude oil.
- Satellite images show the vessel has become further submerged in the water.
- As of August 7, the oil spill has covered nearly 800 square kilometers.
- The affected area is part of a marine protected reserve, threatening wildlife.
- Oman's government is monitoring the situation and assessing potential responses.
A sanctioned tanker carrying nearly 1 million barrels of oil appears to have become further submerged in waters off the coast of Oman where it has been grounded for several weeks, satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show.
Crude oil has been leaking and spreading quickly in recent days from the Caroline Bezengi and has reached the shores of Qibliyah Island, off Oman’s southwest coast. As of Aug. 7, a spill of oil sheen covered nearly 800 square kilometers (309 square miles).
The affected area is part of the Arabian Sea reserve, a marine protected area and host to endangered wildlife, including petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale. The vessel is believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and has been sanctioned for carrying cargoes of Russian oil.
Oman’s government said it was responding to the incident, but it was not immediately clear if authorities have reached the tanker or if there are efforts to salvage it or stop the leaking crude oil.
阿曼附近搁浅漏油油轮进一步下沉，卫星图像显示
一艘被制裁的油轮载有近100万桶石油，似乎在阿曼海岸的水域中进一步下沉，该船已搁浅数周，相关卫星图像显示。
最近几天，Caroline Bezengi号漏油并迅速扩散，已到达阿曼西南海岸的Qibliyah岛。截止到8月7日，油膜泄漏面积已覆盖近800平方公里。
受影响区域为阿拉伯海保护区，是一个海洋保护区，栖息着包括海雀和稀有的阿拉伯海驼背鲸等濒危野生动物。该船被认为是俄罗斯“影子舰队”的一部分，并因运输俄罗斯石油而受到制裁。
阿曼政府表示正在对此事件作出反应，但尚不清楚当局是否已抵达油轮，或是否有努力进行打捞或阻止漏油的措施。