Ecuador takes emergency steps to contain Galapagos oil spill

An oil spill in the Galapagos Islands has been brought under control after Ecuador activated emergency protocol to reduce the environmental impact, authorities announced late Sunday evening.

A ship carrying 2,500 liters (600 gallons) of oil sank near the historic islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Sunday.

The ecosystem on the islands, famous for helping naturalist Charles Darwin develop the theory of evolution after his visit in 1835, is highly fragile.

Read more: Tourism: Boon or threat for the Galapagos?

"The situation is under control, and a series of actions have been deployed to mitigate the possible effects," the presidential communications office said in a statement.

A crane collapsed onto an oil barge in a port off San Cristobal Island on Sunday, destabilizing the vessel and causing it to sink, local media reported. Crew members jumped from the ship into the ocean to save themselves. One person was injured.

Emergency protocols activated

Galapagos National Park authorities and the Ecuadorian Navy implemented emergency measures to contain the spill, setting up protective barriers and oil absorbent clothes around the oil patch.

Galapagos minister Norman Wray said personnel were attempting to recover the oil and that the electric generator would be replaced "as soon as possible." Isabela Island, the largest in the Galapagos, currently faces energy rationing.

The same barge, which transports materials to and from the islands, had similarly sunk in a different port in February 2018 after the vessel was destabilized.

The Galapagos Islands are made up of around 130 islands located approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of mainland Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.

Iguanas, giant tortoises, and a wide variety of birds are among the rare animals and plants that inhabit the archipelago.

kp/mm (AFP, dpa)

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