AN oil spill from a capsized cargo ship in the Indian Ocean is washing ashore on the pristine beaches of Thailand’s most famous resort island, a lawmaker said.
The Panama-flagged Sealloyd Arc sank off Phuket on Feb 7 while sailing for Chattogram in Bangladesh, Thai authorities said, spilling around 1,700 litres of oil.
The coagulated residue has begun washing up on the island’s Ya Nui Beach, as well as a smattering of smaller islands in Phuket province, local lawmaker Chalermpong Saengdee said yesterday.
The oil has tainted Koh Hey’s Banana Beach – a popular destination for island-hopping tourists seeking turquoise clear waters – and is expected to keep spreading, he said.
“It’s very worrying because the incident happened two weeks ago, but the situation is not improving and it poses a threat to marine life and coastal reefs,” Chalermpong said.
“We are also concerned it could affect Thailand’s tourism and economy.”
The ship lies at a depth of about 60m, making it difficult for divers to contain the leak, he added.
Footage on public broadcaster Thai PBS showed locals combing beaches with rakes and buckets to collect globs of the oil.
While the Thai Navy has been using dispersants to treat the spillage, Chalermpong has called for government funding to salvage the wreck. — AFP
