Emergency workers on the Caribbean island of Tobago are struggling to clean up an oil spill from an abandoned vessel.
A massive clean-up effort has been launched, but officials say they may be forced to declare a national emergency as 15 kilometers of Tobago’s coastline have been affected. A reef has been damaged by the ongoing spill.
Officials are concerned that the oil could contaminate the island’s fish and food supply.
The spill is hitting Tobago at the beginning of the island’s Carnival season, a major tourist attraction.
Officials received reports about the capsized vessel on Wednesday, but did not receive any distress calls from a crew.
Divers went out to the boat and did not see any signs of life. The boat was apparently abandoned and left to sink, authorities said.
Officials say they believe the vessel was transporting lumber and sand.
They also have not been able to locate registration information for the vessel, identified as the Gulfstream.
