Oil slick from grounded tanker reaches Oman's coastline

An oil slick originating from the tanker Caroline Bezengi has now washed ashore along Oman’s coastline, officials confirmed on Thursday. The vessel ran aground several weeks earlier in the Arabian Sea, prompting an immediate response from maritime authorities and environmental agencies.

The slick, described as a thin sheen stretching several kilometres, was detected near the coastal town of Al‑Muwaihat. Omani officials have deployed containment booms and initiated shoreline clean‑up operations, while the Ministry of Environment has warned of potential impacts on marine life and local fisheries. The tanker, which was carrying an estimated 30,000 tonnes of crude oil, remains partially stranded, and salvage teams continue efforts to secure the hull and prevent further leakage.

Authorities say the situation is being monitored closely, and they have urged residents to avoid affected beaches until the clean‑up is complete. Ongoing investigations will assess the cause of the grounding and evaluate the effectiveness of the response measures to mitigate environmental damage.