The authorities of the United Arab Emirates have been forced to close beaches to the public because of an oil spill from a tanker, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to NUR.KZ, citing the BBC, oil from the tanker Gem No.2, which was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, has been spreading along the UAE coast. This has led to the closure of some beaches and coastal areas.
The incident involving the vessel occurred on the night of October 9-10. Since then, according to satellite images, the oil slick has spread more than 35 km from the point where the tanker was damaged.
A day earlier, the UAE authorities said the aftermath of the incident had affected beaches near the city of Umm Al Quwain. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said it had "immediately begun containing the spill" to limit the oil's impact on the environment.
Steve Widdicombe, director of the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, told the publication that environmental impact was "inevitable." However, he said it is too early to assess the scale of the damage.