Photos: An Oil Spill Causes an Environmental Emergency in Peru

On January 15, while the oil tanker Mare Doricum was unloading crude oil at the La Pampilla Refinery north of Lima, Peru, the ship spilled about 6,000 barrels of oil into the sea. Initial reports blamed the incident on “abnormal waves” caused by the volcanic eruption in Tonga, but investigations are ongoing, and the government is “looking at sanctioning” the refinery. An environmental emergency has been declared, several beaches have been closed, and hundreds of cleanup workers were brought in by the Spanish energy firm Repsol. Cleanup crews and volunteers were working over the weekend to help affected wildlife, including seals, birds, fish, and crustaceans.