MAURITIUS

Environmental emergency

The island of Mauritius has declared an “environmental emergency” after a tanker loaded with around 4,000 tonnes of oil ran aground off the shores of the Indian Ocean at the end of July, devastating a coral reef. The huge ship’s hull has cracked, spewing 1,000 tonnes of oil into Mauritius’s crystalclear waters. Emergency workers and volunteers are now scrambling to protect the country’s coastline. The volunteers have been working tirelessly to create barriers to contain the leaking oil and keep it away from the island. Many have been filling sacks with straw to soak up the oil.