Thousands of barrels of crude oil that were spilled off Peru’s central coast have taken a grim toll: dead birds adrift in the sea and irate fishermen stuck on the docks.
Some 6,000 barrels poured into the sea as an oil tanker unloaded a week ago at the La Pampilla refinery located some 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Lima.
According to Spanish oil company Repsol, which owns the refinery, the accident occurred due to freak waves caused by the volcanic eruption in Tonga.
The government declared an “environmental emergency” for 90 days on Saturday in the “damaged coastal marine area” affected by the spill, which is drifting north.
Currents spread the oil along the coast more than 40 kilometers from the refinery, tarring 21 beaches, according to the Ministry of Health, which recommended people avoid the areas because they are classified as “unhealthy.”
White-suited emergency workers have taken the usual place of weekend beachgoers in Ancon and other nearby coastal towns.
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