Shipowner Nagashiki Shipping Co. and operator Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) apologized in Tokyo on Sunday for a spill of more than 1,000 tons of heavy oil from a cargo ship that ran aground off the coast of Mauritius.
According to MOL, the cargo ship Wakashio ran aground on the night of July 25, off the southeast coast of the island country in the Indian Ocean.
A fuel tank cracked Thursday morning and most of the 1,180 tons of heavy oil in the tank is believed to have spilled, the company said. Cleanup work is under way, but only about 50 tons have been collected so far.
There have been reports that some of the spilled oil has made it ashore. The area is a natural conservation zone with coral reefs and the impact on the environment and the tourism industry is feared.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but MOL Managing Executive Officer Masanori Kato said, "The ship got too close to shallow water."
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