The United Arab Emirates has temporarily closed all beaches and coastal areas in the emirate of Umm Al Quwain after an oil spill from a tanker. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The National reported this, citing the country's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. In the neighboring emirate of Sharjah, Al Hamriyah Beach was also closed as a precautionary measure.
The pollution was detected by the national environmental monitoring system. Specialists, together with local and federal services, have begun localizing the spill, cleaning the coast, and assessing the environmental consequences. Restrictions will remain in place until the survey is completed and necessary safety measures are determined. Fishermen and other users of marine areas were urged to avoid contaminated areas and follow authorities' instructions, Free Press Journal writes.
In recent days, residents of Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain have complained of an unusual smell. The ministry stated that it does not pose a threat to public health, Saudi Gazette reports.
The authorities have not officially named the vessel or the cause of the leak. Martin Kelly, head of Orbital Risk Intelligence, told Reuters that the source of the pollution was the tanker Gem No.2. Leon Moreland, a researcher at Conflict and Environment Observatory, estimated the area of the slick from satellite images at approximately 160 square kilometers. The company Windward warned that currents could carry the oil to ports and water intakes of desalination plants in Sharjah and Ajman. According to Reuters sources in the shipping industry, on October 9, Gem No.2 was hit by an unidentified projectile, causing a fire. The authorities have not yet confirmed a link between this incident and the current spill.
Saudi Gazette, citing international maritime agencies, writes about an alleged attack by an Iranian drone on Gem No.2 on October 9-10. According to the publication, 22 Indian sailors were rescued from the 330-meter-long vessel at that time.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that in June, an oil spill occurred in the Azerbaijani waters of the Caspian Sea after an underwater pipeline was damaged. According to a preliminary assessment by SOCAR, the cause could have been a ship's anchor hook; oil transportation in that direction was stopped.