Learn more about this case that caused a major environmental tragedy. Understand what happened.
Imagine a case involving a cell phone with no signal and a ship captain that ends in an environmental disaster. This unfortunate situation is not very common. However, information about it was released in Japan last week.
The case was reported on the country's main portals, and is now becoming known worldwide. Unfortunately, the reason for this news story's “fame” is very bad for the environment. Continue reading and understand what happened below.
Cellular network causes environmental disaster
On Thursday (September 28), Japan's Transportation Safety Agency reported that a cargo ship that spilled 1,000 tons of oil off the coast of the African country of Mauritius in 2020 was destroyed because the captain was expecting a phone signal cell phone.
For those who don't remember, the ship had deviated from its course, but the reasons were still under analysis. On July 25, 2020, the MS Wakashio collided near the Blue Bay Marine Park, in Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, when it was leaving the Chinese port of Lianyungang bound for the port of Tubarão, in the city of Santa Catarina. The Japanese-owned ship was sailing the seas, but it flew the Panamanian flag and its captain was from India.
At the time of the accident, the East African island nation declared an environmental emergency following the oil disaster.
Why did this happen?
Two days before the accident, the ship's captain altered the vessel's course to receive a smartphone signal 5 nautical miles (9 km) offshore, instead of 22 nautical miles (40 km) as initially planned, the report said.
The ship's captain set this new course without the approval of local safety authorities. Furthermore, the crew members were unaware that the water depth in this area was less than 20 meters. As a result, the ship collided with a coral reef. After investigations that lasted about three years, the reason for the accident was finally revealed.
Mauritius' biggest environmental disaster
According to Greenpeace, this was the worst environmental disaster in Mauritius. The case is made even worse by the fact that the investigation revealed that the captain changed his travel plans just to find network on cell phone.
According to the Japanese government, this incident is not an isolated incident and shows the irresponsible behavior of the entire crew. The report also states that the captain drank two glasses of whiskey during a birthday party on board shortly before the incident. Due to his role in the accident, the captain was found guilty of the case. He was arrested a month after the incident.
Ocean cleanup efforts have been delayed due to the coronavirus infection and weather conditions, causing even greater damage. Greenpeace considers the incident to be the worst environmental disaster in the region's history. Unfortunately, it is not yet known when and how the impacts will be remedied, so it is worth waiting and hoping that the efforts to clean up the affected area will be effective.
