The United Arab Emirates said efforts were under way on Friday (October 23) to contain oil leaking from a tanker offshore that prompted authorities to close beaches and warn fishermen to avoid the area.
Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf shipping lanes have driven up security risks for maritime traffic and heightened fears over the conflict's environmental fallout.
The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said in a statement that containment operations had been launched and an environmental assessment was being carried out.
All beaches and coastal areas around the city of Umm Al Quwain had been temporarily closed until technical teams completed their assessments and determined the necessary safety and marine protection measures, it said.
The ministry also urged fishermen and other sea users to avoid affected areas and follow official instructions. Authorities in Sharjah temporarily closed Al Hamriyah Beach, on the UAE's northern coast close to Umm Al Quwain, as a precaution, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau said.
Scorch marks on the surface of the deck, on its rear starboard side near the superstructure, matched the burnt area seen in video released by the Iranian state media and eyewitness video verified by Reuters.
IRIB released video of the vessel on fire on October 10 and cited an IRGC statement that a massive fire broke out after a tanker carrying crude oil hit a naval mine.
The Indian consulate general in Dubai said in a statement released on October 11 that there was an incident involving vessel Gem No. 2 off of Ras Al Khaimah coast.
Two independent experts, Leon Moreland and Louis Goddard, confirmed to Reuters that the satellite images from October 19 and 21 were consistent with an oil slick and it appeared to be coming from Gem No. 2. The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Friday that its monitoring system had detected a tanker oil spill affecting beaches in Umm Al Quwain.
Martin Kelly, CEO of Orbital Risk Intelligence, confirmed to Reuters that the spill reaching the shores of the UAE on October 23 came from Gem No. 2.
