According to Reuters, an oil spill near the Spanish island of Gran Canaria led local officials to shut down multiple beaches in the popular tourist spot on 5th September and declare an environmental emergency.
Emergency services reported that they were notified on 4th September that about an accidental oil spill that occurred during a vessel’s refueling at La Luz port in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria. The spill involved up to 3 metric tons of IFO 180, a type of Very Low Sulphur Oil.
The vessel’s name has not been revealed.
Antonio Morales, president of Gran Canaria’s governing council, stated that the oil slick was about 2 km (1.2 miles) long and 400 m (1,300 feet) wide.
Morales mentioned that the slick was drifting south towards the nearby municipality of Telde due to wind. Current conditions were keeping the slick away from a nearby drinking water plant, but it was still uncertain whether the oil would reach the shore.
The beaches of La Restinga, Palos, San Borondon, and El Baranquillo were closed to the public as the oil approached the coast. Meanwhile, a helicopter, drones, and a maritime rescue boat were deployed to help manage the spill.
