Spill of 1,200 barrels of crude blight Ecuadoran beach / Photo: Handout - Ecuadorean Navy/AFP
-
PSG to face Barcelona, Man City and Villa in Champions League as draw is made
-
Piracy attacks off Somalia surge in 2026: AFP analysis of IMO data
-
Two killed, one arrested, at school near Berlin: police
-
Tottenham land Marmoush from Manchester City
-
Cox defies Pakistan after Abbas's treble strike rocks England
-
YZi Labs Backs TermMax to Advance On-Chain Bond Market Infrastructure
-
Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic dead
-
Nvidia boosts tech stocks but caution dominates ahead of Fed speech
-
Ogura to miss Aragon MotoGP after hand surgery
-
Pogacar holds off Mas to claim Vuelta stage six victory
-
Severe Thunderstorms Hit Eastern Australia After SA Deluge
-
A lasting Dolly Parton legacy: childhood literacy
-
More than goals: What Mourinho wants from Real Madrid's Mbappe
-
S.Africa sounds alarm as infant vaccinations plummet
-
Finland defends shores against oil spill risk
-
Toulouse have salary cap fine reduced on appeal
-
Iraola hoping for 'good news soon' in Liverpool pursuit of Barcola
-
Tech stocks lifted by Nvidia but caution dominates ahead of Fed speech
-
Iran executes over 500 people in 2026: rights group
-
'Smart cricketer' Dinusha helps Sri Lanka draw second India Test
-
Srebrenica: Massacre that outraged the world
-
Zambia opposition leader surrenders to police: state media
-
After US settlement, EU says Meta must 'protect our kids too'
-
Alleged 9/11 mastermind to go on trial in June 2028
-
Germany-led 'frugal' EU states demand budget plan cuts of 'several hundred billion'
-
Abbas's treble strike rocks England in second Test
-
Ratko Mladic: Serb crusader dubbed 'epitome of evil'
-
'Butcher of Bosnia' Ratko Mladic dead: Serbian state media
-
Pramac Yamaha replace Miller with Guevara for 2027 MotoGP season
-
New Zealand make three changes for second South Africa Test
-
Bouaddi needs time at Man City despite 100m euro fee, says Maresca
-
Stocktwits Expands CME Group Alliance with the Integration of Single Stock Futures Data
-
MEXC Launches SHEIN Subscription with $1M Quota as Inaugural IPO Express Event
-
'Mature' Colapinto extends contact with Alpine through 2027
-
Iran, Qatar hold Hormuz talks as US blockade chokes Iran oil imports
-
Atletico rule out any talks with Barcelona over Alvarez
-
Defiant Dinusha helps Sri Lanka draw second India Test
-
Tech stocks lifted by Nvidia as broader markets struggle
-
Pakistan bowl against England in rain-delayed second Test
-
Delap joins Nottingham Forest in club-record deal
-
Barcola move from PSG to Liverpool 'on track': source
-
ICC President Akane Warns U.S. Sanctions Threaten Court's Future
-
Swallowed by silt: Survivors recount Nepal flood horror
-
Delays in Cancer Radiotherapy and Surgery Target Times
-
Germany's Merz hosts 'frugal' leaders ahead of EU budget battle
-
Acrid stench, charred walls reveal devastation of Pakistan infant ward fire
-
Barca sign Croatia goalkeeper Livakovic
-
Norway holds its breath as King Harald's health deteriorates
-
Rain delays England's bid to put off-field incidents behind them
-
Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer
Spill of 1,200 barrels of crude blight Ecuadoran beach
A leak at an oil terminal spilled at least 1,200 barrels of crude onto a beach popular with tourists in northwest Ecuador, near the border with Colombia, officials said Thursday.
The leak occurred on Wednesday and oil spread out four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Balao terminal, reaching Las Palmas beach, Environment Minister Jose Antonio Davalos told broadcaster Ecuavisa.
He said crabs and fish have been found covered in oil, and there were "most likely birds as well."
State company Petroecuador, to whom the terminal belongs, would compensate fishermen left high and dry by the spill, the minister added.
The leak has been stopped, said Petroecuador official Rafael Armendariz.
The beach, in the province of Esmeraldas, has been closed to visitors as Petroecuador is engaged in a massive cleanup, nearly complete, of the sand and surrounding water.
As for the cause: "We do not rule out any hypothesis, whether it was mechanical damage, whether it was an operational problem, negligence or even sabotage," said Petroecuador general manager Ramon Correa.
Oil is the South American country's top export -- generating some $13 billion per year.
L.Davis--AMWN
