4,500 Tones of Crude Oil Spilled in The Indian Ocean

An operator of the Bright Artemis Japanese tanker issued an official statement on Tuesday, announcing that the vessel had suffered a major collision with a smaller cargo ship, Amar, in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean on Monday, which in turn produced a massive ecologic catastrophe, with approximately 4,500 tons of crude oil being spilled in the water. The spill is considered to be the largest Japanese tankers ever witnessed.

The news, which was confirmed by the Japanese news agency Kyodo, was also announced by the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines in an official statement. It explained that the serious accident occurred when the Japanese tanker made a series of maneuvers, while being situated near the Amar, which had signaled that it had been in distress 300 miles west of India's Nicobar Islands.

As far as the Japanese company was concerned, the exact amount of crude oil that was spilled in the ocean was not known. The only official confirmed details were that it had been carrying 77.6 million gallons, or 250,000 tons of crude oil, and that it had left Oman for Japan. It was reported that the tanker had a Croatian captain and a 23-member crew, while the Amar had been registered in Singapore. The first to find out about the tragic event were the Singaporean and the Indian Coast Guard officials, respectively.

No death tolls or casualty reports have been issued up to this point, the single yet most disastrous effect being the actual oil spill in the ocean.

In a separate event, that occurred in the Philippines, this time, an oil tanker had sunk in the waters off the Coast of Guimaras Island, 312 miles southeast of Manila on Friday, spilling approximately 2,000 tones of industrial fuel, Philippine officials stated. The situation prompted officials from the Philippine island to call "a state of calamity", highlighting that it was the most damaging spill they ever witnessed.