Mauritius puts oil barriers near stuck Chinese boat

By Yasine Mohabuth

The authorities in Mauritius have deployed an oil boom near a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel that ran aground over the weekend near the capital, Port Louis.

The 310 metres of boom - a temporary floating barrier meant to contain an oil spill - is a precautionary measure after traces of oil were detected on Monday on reefs of Pointe-aux-Sables where the boat is stuck, according to Fisheries Minister Sudeer Maudhoo.

He said that the boat is still "intact".

The Chinese trawler, LURONGYUANYU588, is carrying 130 tonnes of diesel.

"The oil does not come from the boat's tank. It may have come out of the propeller, but there was no leak," he said.

The minister added that a Greek company, Polyeco, will oversee the sucking up of the spilt oil and setting the boat afloat again.

"A member of the Polyeco team is already on the boat to prepare the pumping operations. The pumping and removal of the boat should take four to five days," Mr Maudhoo said.

Mauritius police and shipping officials have already gone on board to seize documents needed for investigations.

This article was originally published by BBC News. [Photo: Getty Images]