FOTO // Dezastru ecologic în Peru: Tsunami-ul din Tonga a provocat o deversare uriașă de petrol la 10.000 de km distanță

Ministrul de externe peruvian a spus că deversarea de petrol a afectat animalele și plantele dintr-o zonă protejată ce se întinde pe mai mult de 18.000 de metri pătrați și cuprinde mai multe insule și zone de pescuit.

Potrivit autorităților, deversarea a avut loc atunci când o navă petrolieră a fost surprinsă de valurile masive provocate de explozia subacvatică generată de vulcanul din Tonga în timp ce descărca petrolul în rafinăria La Pampilla a companiei spaniole Repsol.

„Este cel mai grav dezastru ecologic care s-a întâmplat în jurul Limei (capitala statului Peru) din ultima vreme și a afectat serios sute de familii de pescari”, a transmis ministerul de externe pe Twitter. „Repsol trebuie să ofere imediat compensații pentru daune.”

Procurorii peruvieni au deschis o investigație în legătură cu incidentul de deversare a petrolului companiei Repsol. Ministrul Mediului Ruben Ramirez s-a întâlnit cu oficialii Repsol și a spus că în jur de 6.000 de barili de petrol s-au scurs în ocean, potrivit companiei.

Între timp, una dintre cele patru terminale ale rafinăriei au fost închise până la terminarea investigațiilor. La Pampilla este cea mai mare rafinărie a statului Peru și alimentează cu combustibili mai mult de jumătate din piața locală, notează Digi24.

Peru se află la 10.000 de kilometri de vulcanul Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai care a erupt sâmbăta trecută și a devastat insulele Tonga. Tot în Peru, două persoane s-au înecat pe una dintre plajele afectate de tsunami.

Workers hold sea birds covered by dark oil on a Peruvian beach in Ventanilla, Peru, on Monday Jan 19, 2022 as clean up continues on an oil spill caused by abnormal waves triggered by a massive underwater volcanic eruption half a world away in Tonga. The Pampilla Refinery, part of the Spanish company Repsol, said there had been a limited spill of oil off the coast of Callao and Ventanilla districts near Lima Saturday due to the violent waves produced by the eruption on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. It said the spill occurred during offloading from a tanker. The National Emergency Operations Center said in a statement that the spill had been brought under control. Tonga Volcano Eruption Causes Oil Spill, Ventanilla, Peru - 19 Jan 2022,Image: 654520186, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

Cleaning crews work to remove oil from a beach in the Peruvian province of Callao on January 19, 2022 after a spill which occurred during the offloading process of the Italian-flagged tanker "Mare Doricum" at La Pampilla refinery caused by the abnormal waves recorded after the volcanic eruption in Tonga. Peruvian authorities sealed off three beaches on Monday after 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled and demanded compensation Wednesday from Spanish energy giant Repsol over the oil spill.,Image: 654611831, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

Cleaning crews work to remove oil from a beach in the Peruvian province of Callao on January 19, 2022 after a spill which occurred during the offloading process of the Italian-flagged tanker "Mare Doricum" at La Pampilla refinery caused by the abnormal waves recorded after the volcanic eruption in Tonga. Peruvian authorities sealed off three beaches on Monday after 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled and demanded compensation Wednesday from Spanish energy giant Repsol over the oil spill.,Image: 654611830, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

Cleaning crews work to remove oil from a beach in the Peruvian province of Callao on January 17, 2022, after a spill which occurred during the unloading process of the Italian-flagged tanker "Mare Doricum" at La Pampilla refinery caused by the abnormal waves recorded after the volcanic eruption in Tonga. A massive volcanic eruption in Tonga triggered tsunami waves around the Pacific, with waves strong enough to drown two women in Peru, more than 10,000 kilometres (6,000 miles) away.,Image: 653868498, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

A heron is pictured on rocks covered with mussels and oil as cleaning crews work to remove oil from a beach in the Peruvian province of Callao on January 17, 2022, after a spill which occurred during the unloading process of the Italian-flagged tanker "Mare Doricum" at La Pampilla refinery caused by the abnormal waves recorded after the volcanic eruption in Tonga. A massive volcanic eruption in Tonga triggered tsunami waves around the Pacific, with waves strong enough to drown two women in Peru, more than 10,000 kilometres (6,000 miles) away.,Image: 653873331, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia