Trinidad and Tobago may declare a national emergency over a massive oil spill from a ship that hit aground and crashed this week.
Tobago’s south-western coast, including some of its most beautiful beaches, has been devastated for at least 15km (nine miles).
About 1,000 volunteers are helping government workers clean up the spill.
The crew abandoned the ship, and divers are working to stop the leak.
On Saturday, Tobago’s chief secretary, Farley Augustine, suggested the government may declare the tragedy a Level 3 disaster.
“Everything indicates that we are going in that direction,” he told AFP.
The spill is Level 2, therefore the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management thinks the country can handle it.
A national emergency is proclaimed when local resources are “overwhelmed” and foreign aid is needed.
Last Wednesday, The Gulfstream capsized off the Cove Eco-Industrial Estate.
No emergencies were called.
The event occurred days before Trinidad and Tobago’s funfair, a major economic driver.
