Aerial photos show stricken Japanese cargo ship ripped to pieces on reef off Mauritius spilling hundreds of tonnes of oil into pristine waters as authorities confirm hull has split in two
A Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius last month threatening a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island has broken apart, authorities have confirmed.
Aerial images taken of the Japanese cargo ship taken on Sunday show how the boat has completely broken into two parts.
The MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef on 25 July with 4,000 tonnes of fuel.
This aerial picture taken on August 16, 2020, shows the MV Wakashio bulk carrier that had run aground and broke into two parts near Blue Bay Marine Park, Mauritius
Aerial images taken of the Japanese cargo ship taken on Sunday show how the hull of the boat has completely split in two
The ship that has leaked more than 1,000 tonnes of oil in pristine waters off the Mauritius coast has split into two, as images taken on Sunday show
The Mauritius National Crisis Committee confirmed the ship's breakage in a statement on Saturday. 'At around 4.30pm [12:30 GMT], a major detachment of the vessel's forward section was observed,' they said.
Pictures show the cargo ship torn in two parts, days after Japanese rescue teams managed to pump the remaining oil off the vehicle to prevent another massive oil spill into the pristine waters.
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth confirmed Tuesday that all the fuel had been pumped from the reservoirs of the Japanese-owned MV Wakashio and added that about 100 tonnes remained elsewhere on board the vessel.
A view shows Japanese bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio as it begins to break apart, after it ran aground on a reef in Mauritius, in this August 15 satellite image
Two men, near Blue Bay Marine Park, look at the vessel MV Wakashio, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, on August 15
A picture taken on August 15, 2020 near Blue Bay Marine Park, shows the vessel MV Wakashio, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, that ran aground near Blue Bay Marine Park off the coast of south-east Mauritius, on August 14
The Mauritian government has been criticised for doing too little in the week after the ship crashed into the reef. According to SBSNews, the owner of the ship - the Japanese Nagashiki shipping company - took three weeks to attend the scene.
In response to the company's delayed arrival, Greenpeace wrote: 'Many unanswered questions remain. Why was your vessel sailing so dangerously close to the reef? Why have you done so little since the ship ran aground? What will you do to reduce the damage to the environment, and the pain and suffering of those whose livelihoods depend on it?'
An aerial view taken on August 15 shows the vessel MV Wakashio, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, that had run aground near Blue Bay Marine Park, Mauritius
![The Mauritius National Crisis Committee confirmed the ship's breakage in a statement on Saturday. 'At around 4.30pm [12:30 GMT], a major detachment of the vessel's forward section was observed,' they said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/08/16/09/32005404-8632291-image-a-3_1597564879236.jpg)
The Mauritius National Crisis Committee confirmed the ship's breakage in a statement on Saturday. 'At around 4.30pm [12:30 GMT], a major detachment of the vessel's forward section was observed,' they said
The Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius last month threatening a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island has broken apart, authorities confirmed on Saturday
The government made a statement earlier this week saying that they were seeking compensation from the ship's owner for clean-up costs, losses and damages, and for anyone whose livelihood was affected by the spill.
It stressed, however, the Mauritian government will not be accepting responsibility.
The ship's owner pledged to respond to requests for compensation over damage to the marine life around Mauritius.
It comes after more than 1,000 tonnes of fuel leaked into the waters from the MV Wakashio after it hit a coral reef off the island on July 25 with 4,000 tonnes of fuel.
An aerial view taken on August 15, shows the vessel MV Wakashio as it starts to break up after it ran aground on a coral reef , above and below
The government made a statement earlier this week saying that they were seeking compensation from the ship's owner for clean-up costs, losses and damages, and for anyone whose livelihood was affected by the spill
The ship, which has already leaked some 1,180 tonnes of fuel into the sea, began leaking oil into coral reefs, mangrove forests and protected wetlands last week
The ship, which has already leaked some 1,180 tonnes of fuel into the sea, began leaking oil into coral reefs, mangrove forests and protected wetlands last week in a massive blow for the paradisiacal island popular among honeymooners and other tourists.
On Wednesday, PM Pravind Jugnauth announced that all the fuel had been pumped from the reservoirs of the ship. However, there were still around 160 tonnes of oil elsewhere on the boat, which began to leak again on Friday, turning the sea around the craft black once more.
However today Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said: 'All the fuel has been pumped from the reservoirs.'
He added: 'It was a race against the clock, and I salute the excellent work to prevent another oil spill.
In pictures issued today, the hull of the MW Wakashio boat can be seen completely split in two. It's unsure what date the images were taken
In pictures issued today, the hull of the MW Wakashio boat can be seen completely split in two. It's unsure what date the images were taken
A devastating oil slick from Japanese ship the MV Wakashio that ran aground on a reef off Mauritius two weeks ago has spread 7.1 miles (11.5 kilometres) from Blue Bay Marine Park to the tourist island of Ile aux Cerfs on the east coast of the island
More than 1,000 tonnes of fuel has leaked into the pristine waters of the island from the MV Wakashio, with fears more could spill as the ship begins to split in half, spilling a further 1,800 left in the ship
The Wakashio hit a coral reef off the island on July 25 with 4,000 tonnes of fuel and some 1,180 tonnes of fuel has leaked into the sea
A huge crack pictured in the hull of the Japanese-owned MV Wakashio
Fishermen and skippers tend to a makeshift oil extraction device at the Mahebourg Waterfront in Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, today
Volunteers prepare to place handmade oil barriers in the sea at the Mahebourg Waterfront in Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, today
Who foots the bill?
A Japanese bulk carrier struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and triggering a state of 'environmental emergency'.
Scientists say the spill is the country's worst ecological disaster, killing wildlife and damaging pristine waters that attract tourists from around the globe. The full impact is still unfolding. As residents scramble to mop up the oil slicks, they are seeing dead eels and fish floating in the water as fuel-soaked seabirds limp ashore.
The following lays out the legal implications.
THE SHIP AND OPERATOR
The owner and operator of the ship is Nagashiki Shipping, an Okayama, Japan-based private company that said Mauritius had requested compensation. It said in a statement that the cause of the accident was not known and would be fully investigated.
The MV Wakashio, a nearly 300-metre Cape Size bulker used for carrying iron ore, with a deadweight of about 200,000 tonnes, was built in 2007, meaning it should be double-hulled and more protected against rupture.
A worker holds out his arms covered in thick oil from collecting seaweed and straw mixed with leaked oil from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier after it ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius today
With a crew of 20 sailors the Panama-flagged vessel was on course for Brazil to pick up iron ore, according to Mitsui OSK, which chartered the ship. The bulk carrier had dropped off a cargo in Tianjin, China, before it headed across the Indian Ocean.
The operator has not explained why it was sailing so close to the reef.
SPILL RECOVERY
The ship was carrying about 3,800 tonnes of fuel oil along with diesel to power its engines. One of its oil tanks, containing about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil, ruptured after it ran aground.
The MV Wakashio passed an annual inspection in March without any problems, Japan's ClassNK inspection body has said.
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said on Wednesday that nearly all the remaining oil had been removed from the ship confirming an earlier statement by Nagashiki that most of the oil that was still on board had been pumped off.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
Under the 2001 International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution damage, which is referred to as the BUNKER convention and has been administered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) since it came into force in 2008, the owners of vessels are responsible for damage caused by oil leaks. That means Nagashiki rather than Mitsui OSK is liable.
In a June 13 statement, Nagashiki said it would 'deal with compensation claims based on applicable laws'.
Akihiko Ono, executive vice president of Mitsui OSK Lines, has apologised for the spill but a spokesman told Reuters it had no responsibility for the accident.
LIABILITY
Compensation amounts paid by ship owners are governed by the 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims and a subsequent amended convention agreed in 1996. The agreement also requires owners to ensure they have adequate insurance.
According to Toda Law Office in Tokyo, Mauritius has ratified the 1976 version, which limits payments to 2 billion yen ($18.7 million) while Japan has signed the 1996 document which has an upper limit of 7 billion yen.
It will be up to any court ruling on compensation to decide which one applies in this case.
INSURANCE
The Wakashio is insured by Japan Club, the country's only organization that underwrites protection and indemnity insurance for ocean going and coastal vessels. On Wednesday, a spokesman for Japan P&I said it was 'trying to make internal estimates' for how much the clean up would cost.
Jugnauth's government has said it too has yet to come up with an estimate.
Japan P&I could cover up to as much as $1 billion, because it can count on support from more than a dozen other shipowner insurance unions around the world, according to Koshiro Emura, an analyst at S&P Global Ratings.
SHIP REMOVAL
Removing the ship will be a delicate operation and is likely to take months. France, which once ruled Mauritius as a colony, has said it will assist with the cleanup, while Japan said it is sending experts.
The International Maritime Organization is providing technical advice.
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