Oil pollution affects 7.5 miles of Oman’s southeastern coastline

Oil pollution has affected around 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) of Oman’s southeastern coastline in the Ras Madrakah area, the country’s Environment Authority said Saturday, according to the official Oman News Agency.

“The latest field results indicate that the stretch of beaches affected by pollution in the Ras Madrakah area extends for around 12 kilometers,” the authority said, adding that response operations were underway.

“No significant traces of pollution have been detected at other locations,” it added.

The authority said monitoring results had so far confirmed that “no effects resulting from the oil pollution have reached the shores of Masirah Island,” whose southern section lies within the area potentially at risk.

Regarding the offshore oil slick, the authority said monitoring data and updated models indicated that it “continues to move along its observed path in the open sea, southeast of Masirah, toward the high seas.”

It added that the slick’s movement would continue to be monitored amid changing maritime and weather conditions.

On Wednesday, the Environment Authority said oil leaking from a tanker grounded near Al-Qibliya Island had affected some beaches in Oman’s southeastern Ras Madrakah area.

The International Maritime Organization told Anadolu that oil leaking from the grounded tanker had begun reaching the Omani mainland.

The crude oil tanker Caroline Bezengi grounded off Oman on June 30 and was carrying approximately 130,000 tons of oil at the time, according to the UN shipping agency.