An oil slick spanning approximately 390 square kilometres (150 square miles) is spreading off the coast of Oman following damage sustained by the Caroline Bezengi, a tanker under Western sanctions for its role in transporting Russian crude, Oman's government disclosed on Monday. In its first public statement detailing the environmental impact of the incident, Oman's Environment Authority confirmed the extent of the spill through satellite imagery analysis. The slick extends northeast of the Hallaniyat Islands, located off the southern governorate of Dhofar, and reaches within an estimated seven kilometres of the Omani mainland at its nearest point.
According to two maritime security sources cited by Reuters, the Caroline Bezengi's crew first reported difficulties on June 8 off the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla. Initial assessments indicated that a blast occurred onboard the vessel. The ship last transmitted a signal on public AIS tracking on June 11 off the coast of Yemen.
The cause of the damage to the vessel remains unclear, and Oman's authorities offered no explanation in their statement. The Caroline Bezengi is a 274-metre (900-foot) tanker that, according to shipping data, was loaded with Russian crude prior to the voyage. An earlier Reuters analysis of satellite imagery conducted at the end of July had already shown the spill from the stranded vessel continuing to spread, raising serious concerns about potential environmental damage to the region.
Both the European Union and Britain have imposed sanctions on the Caroline Bezengi, citing the vessel's involvement in carrying fuels from Russia. The tanker is part of what is widely referred to as Russia's "shadow fleet" — a network of ageing, often poorly maintained vessels that Moscow uses to circumvent Western sanctions on its oil exports. Oman said it is actively seeking to tackle the oil leak in its territorial waters near the Hallaniyat Islands.
The incident underscores growing environmental and regulatory concerns surrounding the operation of sanctioned tankers transporting Russian crude through international waters. Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Menna Alaa El-Din; Writing by Menna Alaa El-Din; Editing by Barbara Lewis. Source: Reuters.
Source: reuters.com