Muscat, August 17 (QNA) - Omani authorities announced today that they are continuing their salvage and containment efforts for the oil spill from the vessel "CAROLINE BEZENGI", which is stranded on a rocky outcrop near Al Qibliyah Island in the Al Hallaniyat Islands archipelago in Dhofar Governorate.

These efforts are being carried out amid extremely challenging weather conditions, with wind speeds at times reaching around 40 knots and sea waves rising to approximately four metres, making it extremely difficult and complex to approach the vessel by sea or air, said Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology

The Ministry said in a statement that it has, from the outset, intensified its efforts to mitigate the potential environmental impacts resulting from the vessel's grounding.

The Ministry emphasized that the challenges extend beyond the ship's surroundings to its own technical condition.

It is aground on rocky terrain and tilted at approximately 17 degrees, resulting in significant flooding on one side and making movement and operations on board extremely difficult.

The statement further noted that the ship's deck being exposed to oil and seawater, along with strong waves and winds, has rendered some work areas slippery and unsafe. Moreover, the ship lacks a reliable power source to operate the equipment necessary for rescue operations. (QNA)