Oil slick from attacked tanker reaches UAE's northern coast
Beaches in Ras Al Khaimah are closed as oil from a tanker struck in the Strait of Hormuz washes ashore, raising fears for desalination plants.
Ras Al Khaimah — An oil slick from a tanker attacked in the Strait of Hormuz has washed up on the shores of the United Arab Emirates, reaching the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah on the Arabian Gulf, Africanews reported.
Video showed the slick at Al Hamra Golf Club in the emirate. All beaches in Ras Al Khaimah have been closed as authorities rush to contain the leak.
Experts warn the spill could threaten the desalination plants that supply much of the Gulf nation's drinking water — a risk that reaches well beyond the shoreline.
British sources reported on October 9 that a vessel had been hit by a projectile off the UAE coast, causing a fire that was later brought under control. The vessel has been identified as the oil tanker GEM NO.2, sailing under a Panamanian flag.
Tehran has claimed control over the Strait of Hormuz and regularly targets ships that transit the waterway without its authorisation. The strait, one of the world's busiest oil chokepoints, has been at the centre of a mounting confrontation between Iran and the United States and its partners; Iran said earlier this month that seven ships had been hit there, warning Washington of a wider response.
It is not yet known how much oil has escaped from the tanker, how far the slick may spread along the coast, or how long the clean-up will take. Authorities have not said when the beaches might reopen.
For now, residents of the emirate are waiting on two things: confirmation that the desalination plants feeding their taps are safe, and word on when the containment effort will let them return to the water.
Sources
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