Captain Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar admitted he had been drinking alcohol as cargo ship Wakashio ran aground in July 2020, spilling more than 1,000 tons of fuel into the Indian Ocean.
The oil spill was Mauritius' worst-ever environmental disasterImage: Gwendoline Defente/EMAE/picture alliance
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The captain and first officer of a cargo ship that crashed into a coral reef off Mauritius, resulting in the Indian Ocean archipelago's worst ever environmental disaster, were handed 20-month prison sentences on Monday.
The Wakashio cargo ship was sailing from Singapore to Brazil when it struck the coral reef on July 25, 2020. Some 1,000 tons of oil began spilling into the pristine waters on August 6, prompting the Mauritius government to declare a state of "environmental emergency."
"The court took into consideration the fact that both defendants pleaded guilty and apologized. The sentence handed down is 20 months in prison," said magistrate Ida Dookhy Rambarrun.
Navigating under the influence
The freighter's captain — Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, who was convicted by a court in the capital, Port Louis, last week — admitted drinking alcohol during an onboard birthday celebration.
He and the Japanese-owned bulk carrier's first officer — Hitihanillage Subhoda Janendra Tilakaratna — were found guilty of "endangering safe navigation."
"The captain and his second in command were irresponsible and did not deliver as they should on their 'navigational duties'," the magistrate added.
'It did not occur to me that we were sailing that close,' the captain admittedImage: Rishi Etwaroo/L'express Maurice/AP/picture alliance
The captain said he had given instructions to approach Mauritian waters so the crew could acquire cellphone coverage and have the opportunity to get in touch with their families, but then disaster struck.
"The sea was bad, but the visibility was clear and it was safe to navigate," Nandeshwar explained. "At one point, the ship could not move and had touched the sea floor."
"Since I had had a few drinks, it did not seem worthwhile to intervene and it did not occur to me that we were sailing that close."
US: California combats major oil spill
Empty beaches, sticky, black globules in the sand and an oil slick on the water - Southern California is battling a looming environmental disaster that could also severely hurt tourism.
Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Beaches closed to tourists
Known as "Surf City USA," Huntington Beach usually draws crowds of tourists to its shores. But, now popular beaches like Laguna Beach, south of Los Angeles, are closed for surfers, swimmers and walkers. The reason is a massive spill from a leaking oil pipeline off the coast on October 5.
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Threatening oil slick
The oil sheen on the ocean's surface was discovered last Friday. It’s estimated that around 550,000 liters of crude oil spilled from the pipeline which is around 40 years old. It connects an offshore oil platform in the Pacific Ocean to a pumping station in Long Beach.
Image: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS
Cause of oil spill still unclear
Martyn Willsher, chief executive of the company that operates the pipeline, said the reasons for the spill were still being investigated. It is possible that the pipeline was hit by the anchor of a ship. Diving robots found a 30-centimeter crack (12 inches) in the pipeline, which had been displaced by about 30 meters and showed a bend "like a semicircle."
Image: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Cleaning up after the disaster
The authorities said that 320 workers are now trying to contain the oil spill. San Francisco Governor Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, has declared a state of emergency for the area. He said the state is mobilizing all resources to protect public health and the environment. Still, some sunbathers like this woman seemed oblivious to the cleanup efforts in the background.
Image: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Painstaking work in intense heat
Dressed in protective gear, including helmets and masks, emergency crews are struggling in the scorching heat to clear the beach of clumps of oil. Around 40 kilometers (25 miles) of coastline are now affected. According to the authorities, volunteers are not yet needed, probably also to avoid an uncontrolled rush of people to the beaches.
Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Concerns for wildlife
Environmentalists have reported finding the first oil-covered birds and dead fish. But, so far, only a few have been discovered. However, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley warned of possible environmental damage to the region's ecologically sensitive marshland.
Image: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Call for donations
According to the Coast Guard, ships are being used to contain the oil and skim it from the surface. Crews are also using protective booms, a type of floating barrier. Huntington Beach city officials have urged people to donate money to local conservation groups caring for affected wildlife.
Image: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Cleanup could take time
The crews at the beach still have a lot of work to do. Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr fears it could take weeks or even months. "In a year that has been filled with incredibly challenging issues, this oil spill constitutes one of the most devastating situations that our community has dealt with in decades," she said, also referring to the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
