A suezmax oil tanker that was discharging crude on January 15 in Ventanilla, north of Lima, Peru spilled oil into the ocean.
The incident took place as high waves caused by the volcanic eruption in Tonga, east of Australia, reached Peru’s shores about 6,800 miles away.
The ship, “Mare Doricum”, was carrying about 1m barrels of crude oil, but it is unclear how much of that oil was spilled.
However, the Peruvian government stated that the spill has been contained and cleaning is underway.
The eruption of an underwater volcano near Tonga on Saturday was likely the biggest recorded anywhere on the planet in more than 30 years, according to experts.
Dramatic images from space captured the eruption in real time, as a huge plume of ash, gas and steam was spewed up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) into the atmosphere — and tsunami waves were sent crashing across the Pacific.
The eruption and subsequent tsunami caused “significant damage” along the western coast of the main island of Tongatapu, the New Zealand High Commission in Nuku’alofa said.
The eruption caused a tsunami on Tonga’s largest island, Tongatapu, with waves recorded at 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) near Nuku’alofa city flowing onto coastal roads and flooding properties.
Tsunami warnings went into effect across Pacific Island nations including Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu.
