Oman said on Monday an oil slick covering about 150 square miles had spread off its coast after the sanctioned tanker Caroline Bezengi, carrying Russian crude, was damaged.
Oman’s Environment Authority said the slick, near the Hallaniyat Islands off the southern governorate of Dhofar, extended northeast toward the mainland and came within about 4.3 miles of the shore at its closest point.
A Reuters report said the vessel’s crew first reported difficulties on June 8 off Yemen’s Mukalla, citing two maritime security sources who said initial assessments indicated an onboard blast.
Omani authorities have not identified the cause of the spill. British maritime security company Vanguard told AFP last week that the tanker was rocked by explosions in early June while sailing off Yemen, causing water to enter several sections of the vessel.
Greenpeace and PAX told AFP the spill was on the verge of causing an “environmental disaster,” saying the tanker was carrying around one million barrels of crude.
The 900-foot tanker had been loaded with Russian crude and is under European Union and British sanctions over its role in carrying Russian fuels.
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