Recently, the Hunga Tonga volcanic system in the South Pacific erupted; A tsunami occurred on the coasts of many countries such as the USA and New Zealand, including the island country Tonga. After the tsunami caused by the violent explosion, the authorities called for people living in this area to go to high altitudes.
Due to the tsunami waves that occurred after this volcanic eruption, more than 6,000 barrels of oil leaked into the Pacific Ocean from the Italian-flagged tanker “Mare Doricum”, which was unloading at that time. Due to the incident at the La Pampilla Refinery in Peru, oil spill-related pollution occurred on 21 coasts of the country.
A large number of marine species were damaged by the leak.
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, who visited the region after the environmental disaster in which many sea creatures were damaged due to the spill that spread over a very large area, stated that a committee would be established to deal with this environmental disaster.
In addition, it was noted that an expert team affiliated to the United Nations (UN) will support the country to cope with the pollution caused by the oil spill in the region.
Peru declares a 90-day Environmental Emergency
On the other hand, in the statement made by the Peruvian Ministry of Environment, it is stated that the oil spill has a great impact on the marine ecosystem with high biodiversity; Moreover, it was stated that the leak also poses a high risk to public health.
Following the incident, the Peruvian government decided on a 90-day Environmental Emergency as part of an “effective and sustainable” fight against the environmental disaster caused by the oil spill.