Trinidad and Tobago is mulling over the possibility of declaring a national emergency following a catastrophic oil spill caused by a ship running aground and overturning earlier this week.
The incident has ravaged at least 15km (nine miles) of Tobago’s southwestern coast, devastating some of the Caribbean island’s pristine beaches. In response, a coalition of 1,000 volunteers has rallied alongside government personnel to spearhead the cleanup efforts.
Meanwhile, divers are tirelessly working to isolate the leak from the vessel, which was abandoned by its crew. Farley Augustine, chief secretary of the island of Tobago, disclosed on Saturday that the government is contemplating categorizing the accident as a Level 3 disaster, signifying the highest level of urgency and response.
“Everything indicates that we are going in that direction,” he was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
Currently, the spill is classified as Level 2, indicating that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management believes the country is equipped to handle the situation. However, a national emergency would be declared if local resources become “overwhelmed” and international assistance is required.
The ship, identified only as The Gulfstream, capsized last Wednesday off the coast of the Cove Eco-Industrial Estate. No emergency calls were made.
The incident occurred just days before Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival celebrations, which are a vital source of income for its economy.