Oil covered the beaches of the resort island of Phuket. The spill caused a plague of sea creatures and led to a ban on swimming for tourists. Dangerous pollution was caused by a passing ship. The authorities threw all their forces into eliminating the environmental disaster.
The sandy coast of Sirinat National Park and the island of Racha Yai, located south of Phuket, were affected, The Thaiger portal said. Under the leadership of Deputy Director General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Pornsri Sutanaruk, experts and resource scientists developed a strategy to stop the oil spill. Currently, it was possible to collect about 3 tons of flammable liquid in the Andaman Sea and on resort beaches.
According to calculations based on simulations of sea currents and wind conditions, the spill could have started in the eastern part of the sea and far from Phuket. The island’s administration intends to identify the vessel responsible for the fall by analyzing data on vessel movements.
So far, preliminary analysis has shown that a massive spill could have occurred off the coast of Phang Nga as early as last week. After studying the data, experts warned that oil slicks would reach Racha Yai Island in Phuket by the weekend. Local authorities are actively engaged in cleanup and containment to prevent the oily liquid from seeping into the sand.
Environmental damage is assessed, particularly through the impact on marine flora and fauna. It is known about the death of four sea turtles, in which traces of oil were found in their stomachs. The threat and life of corals is preserved. As for tourists, they are advised to avoid contaminated areas and report their observations to official authorities. In addition, during the elimination of the consequences of the disaster, they were forbidden to swim in the sea.