Leaking grounded oil tanker off Oman sinks further, satellite images show
- The tanker Caroline Bezengi is grounded off the coast of Oman and leaking crude oil.
- Satellite images show the vessel has become further submerged in recent days.
- The oil spill has expanded to cover nearly 800 square kilometers, reaching Qibliyah Island.
- The tanker is part of Russia's 'shadow fleet' and has been sanctioned for carrying Russian oil.
- Oman's government is monitoring the situation and preparing to respond to the spill.
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 by the British government and the European Union for carrying cargoes of Russian oil.
Oman’s government said it was responding to the incident and monitoring the area through satellite images, field surveys, and technical models. Teams were ready to implement necessary procedures to handle potential impacts on marine life and navigation safety in the area.
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，似乎在阿曼沿海的水域进一步下沉，该船已搁浅数周，卫星图像显示。
近日，油轮Caroline Bezengi漏油并迅速扩散，已达到阿曼西南海岸的Qibliyah岛。截止8月7日，油污泄漏面积已覆盖近800平方公里（309平方英里）。
受影响区域是阿拉伯海保护区，属于海洋保护区，栖息着濒危野生动物，包括海雀和稀有的阿拉伯海座头鲸。该船被认为是俄罗斯“影子舰队”的一部分，因运输俄罗斯石油而受到英国政府和欧盟的制裁。
阿曼政府表示正在对此事件进行响应，并通过卫星图像、实地调查和技术模型监测该区域。相关团队已准备好实施必要程序，以应对对海洋生物和该地区航行安全的潜在影响。