London, August 12 (QNA) - The oil spill from the tanker Caroline Bezengi, which ran aground in Omani territorial waters off the Hallaniyat Islands in Dhofar Governorate, has expanded, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said in a statement Wednesday.  

The UN agency added that oil is drifting off the northeastern coast of Al-Qibliyyah Island, noting that it has put contingency plans in place to deal with the oil spill.

  It noted that oil has been leaking from the tanker for some time, stressing that monsoon winds have prevented access to the vessel and delayed salvage operations, but that it is closely monitoring the spill.

 The tanker, which was carrying about 800,000 barrels of oil and was bound for Asia, ran aground about two weeks ago approximately 22 nautical miles off the Omani coast, IMO explained.

In a related development, environmental reports indicated that the crude oil spill from the grounded tanker has caused an oil slick covering nearly 400 square kilometers.

Omani authorities said two days ago that they were continuing their efforts to deal with the incident, mitigate the risks, protect the marine environment and ensure navigational safety. (QNA)