Ghost ship dumps oil across miles of coast off caribbean island
A mystery ship with no crew of has been ditched off the Caribbean Island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, leaving an oil spill along nine miles of pristine coastline just days before the country’s tourist-heavy Carnival celebration.
Emergency workers and more than a thousand volunteers are trying to get the huge spill under control after the vessel ran aground late last week without making any emergency calls. No crew has been found and authorities are so far unable to track down an owner, according to reports.
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The spill represents an environmental disaster for the southernmost island nation of the West Indies, and an economic blow as well: Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain, is hosting a major Carnival celebration this week. News reports cited Prime Minister Keith Rowley as saying the spill “not under control” as of Sunday and that the country is grappling with a national emergency. Divers have not yet been able to find the source of the oil leak.
The Tobago Emergency Management Agency, which posted photos and updates to social media, said there was no one aboard the 300-foot vessel, tentatively identified as the “Gulfstream.” It capsized last week in waters off the Caribbean island. Divers found what may have been a tow rope, officials said.
Oil spills have become increasingly rare in recent years as sophisticated transportation and navigation technology has largely left accidents contained. In 2023, there was only one large spill, characterized as more than 700 tons of oil, which occurred in Asia.
