Written by Ria Singh, a grade 6 student.

A shipreck has caused a big oil spill in Mauritius. Its Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth, has declared a state of environmental emergency.

What happened?

On the 25th of July a Japanese-owned ran aground in the Indian Ocean (run aground means to crash into or get stuck on a shore, reef, or bottom of a body of water). The ship, which was on its way from China to Brazil, was carrying nearly 4000 tons of fuel oil and 200 tons of diesel.

Now the diesel and oil have started to leak into the water, which is extremely dangerous for the environment. Nearly 400 sea booms have been deployed in order to contain the spill. Booms are used to reduce the pollution caused by oil spills.

Happy Khambule, environmental group Greenpeace Africa’s climate and energy manager said that, “Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security and health.”

Where is Mauritius?

Mauritius is an island-country in the Indian Ocean. It is near the eastern coast of Africa and its capital is Port Louis.