A crane has collapsed onto a barge carrying 600 gallons of diesel in the Galapagos Islands, causing an environmental scare in one of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet.
The accident happened at a port on San Cristobal Island in Ecuador as the crane loaded a container holding a generator onto the barge.
An emergency protocol was launched to contain the impact of the spill on the Unesco World Heritage Site.
“The situation is under control, and a series of actions have been deployed to mitigate the possible effects,” the presidential communications office said in a statement.
Ecuador's Integrated Security Service said the crew of the barge "jumped into the sea to safeguard their lives".
The Galapagos National Park said military personnel and environmentalists were "putting up containment barriers and absorbent cloths to reduce the environmental risk".
