The Trinidad and Tobago government has confirmed that fuel oil is leaking from a capsized barge off Tobago's coast, posing a threat to the Caribbean Sea and neighboring countries. The spill was first spotted by Trinidad's Coast Guard on February 7 after the barge, towed by a tugboat, struck a reef and overturned near Tobago's shore. 🛳️💔
According to the energy ministry, tests revealed that the leaking substance is an \"intermediate fuel oil\"—a refined product used to power combustion engines. \"Analyses of the hydrocarbon discharge collected in Tobago indicates that the samples are characteristic of a refined oil,\" the ministry stated.
Allan Stewart, head of Tobago's emergency department, reported that the pace of the leak has slowed considerably. However, the fuel has been seeping into the sea for over three weeks, staining Tobago's coastline, affecting fishing and tourism, and even reaching the waters off Grenada. 🐟🏖️
\"We are working hard to ensure the hydrocarbons do not get to the more sensitive southwest part of the island, where there are the popular tourist beaches,\" Stewart emphasized. Containment booms are in place, and crews are using skimmers and other equipment to mop up the fuel. 🚧
The barge was carrying up to 35,000 barrels of fuel oil. Officials have said it sailed from Panama and was bound for Guyana. However, monitoring service TankerTrackers.com and investigative news outlet Bellingcat reviewed satellite photos indicating that the vessels were near Venezuela's shore days before the spill was reported. 🛰️🔍
\"Imagery discovered by Bellingcat shows that the barge began leaking oil as early as February 3, immediately after leaving Venezuela's Pozuelos Bay, and that it appears to have capsized by the morning of February 6,\" Bellingcat reported this week.
Venezuela has denied that the barge originated from the Bolivarian Republic. The environmental impact continues to unfold as authorities race against time to contain the spill and protect the Caribbean's delicate ecosystems. 🌎💚
Reference(s):
Trinidad government confirms fuel oil is leaking off Tobago's coast
cgtn.com
