The tanks of the bulk carrier MV Wakashio, the source of oil pollution, are now empty. Nearly three weeks after the grounding of this bulk carrier on a reef near the south-eastern coast of Mauritius, "all the fuel oil was pumped from the tanks," Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth told reporters on Wednesday.
"It was a race against the clock and I salute the tremendous work done to prevent another oil spill," added the Prime Minister, adding that of the 4,000 tonnes of oil transported by the ship, which threatens to break in two at any time, there were only a hundred tons left on board, in the hold in particular.
Since the end of last week, intervention teams have been busy on the boat, in particular with the help of a helicopter, to pump the hydrocarbons still present in the ship's tanks. In total, the MV Wakashio, owned by a Japanese shipowner, was carrying 3,800 tonnes of fuel oil and 200 tonnes of diesel.
The bulk carrier struck a reef at Pointe d'Esny on July 25, but fuel oil had not started to escape from its shattered sides until last week. According to the Prime Minister, "around 800 tonnes were dumped into the sea" to reach the coast of Mauritius.
Thousands of volunteers hard at work
The pollution has provoked an impressive outpouring of solidarity among the 1.3 million inhabitants of this archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Thousands of them have been at work for several days to pick up oil and try to contain the pollution by making and deploying floating socks in the water.
Volunteers ignored government calls to stay away and put all their energy into making materials to try and contain pollution on this previously pristine coast. Sitting in the sand, they made kilometers of floating socks with construction fabric, cane straw and plastic bottles to contain the oil slicks.
"We spent a sleepless night" last week to prepare a prototype of these sausages, explained David Sauvage, an environmental activist and member of the Rezistans ek Alternativ group. Other volunteers, equipped with boots and gloves, were busy scooping up the sticky and blackish mire flush with the shore. Human hair has been sewn into absorbent nets, with hairdressers on the beach offering a free haircut to willing people.
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Oil spill on Mauritius: "We make buoys with the hair and feathers of guinea fowl"