India has sent technical equipment and a team of specialists to Mauritius to help local authorities deal with an environmental crisis after an oil spill, Reuters cited a government official as saying on Sunday. A Japanese bulk carrier struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tons of fuel oil and triggering a state of "environmental emergency." The carrier split on Saturday, and the oil spill spread over a vast area of endangered corals, fish and other marine life in what some scientists called the country's worst ecological disaster. Scientists say the full impact of the spill is still unfolding, but the damage could affect Mauritius and its tourism-dependent economy for decades. Removing the ship is likely to take months. Following a Mauritius government request for assistance, India dispatched over 30 tons of technical equipment and material by aircraft to supplement the country's salvage operations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Sunday. A 10-member team of Indian coast guard personnel trained in oil spill containment measures has also been deployed to Mauritius to provide technical and operational assistance, it said. The MEA said India's assistance is in line with its policy to extends humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to its neighbors in the Indian Ocean region and guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of security and growth for all in the region. —SPA/Agencies
