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Tobago oil spill spreading to Grenada, could also impact Venezuela

An oil spill that has stained Tobago's shoreline in the Caribbean is entering into Grenada's waters and could affect surrounding Venezuela, Tobago's Chief Secretary Farley Augustine informed on Thursday.

Eight days after Trinidad and Tobago's Coast Guard first identified the oil from a capsized vessel whose owner and origin have not been validated, portions of the stain have actually moved about 144 km (89 miles) into the Caribbean Sea at a rate of 14 km per hour, Augustine stated.

It has actually now entered Grenada's territorial waters, the authorities said, following a fly-over by Trinidad and Tobago's Air Guard, which validated the distance the spill has gone and countries potentially impacted.

Authorities in Grenada, Panama, Aruba and Guyana have been called by Trinidad and regional group Caricom for info as part of an examination about the vessel's origin, planned destination and ownership, and an accompanying tugboat, authorities in Trinidad have actually stated.

Venezuela, which stated on Wednesday it is keeping an eye on the spill, has started conferences with Trinidad to collaborate reaction action.

Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada's foreign affairs ministries were not right away available for comment.

The reversed vessel continues to leakage fuel, but the situation is now under control with a 40-feet border supported by booms around the wreckage, Augustine stated.

We are unable to plug the leakage and unless we have info on just how much fuel is in the barge or exactly what it contains we can not move forward, other than containment and skimming, he included.

Trinidad's National Security ministry stated on Wednesday that it remains unidentified whether any lives were lost in the incident.

A tugboat and a barge under names revealed by Trinidad's. federal government were determined in satellite images taken three. days before the incident in the Caribbean Sea, evaluated by. TankerTrackers.com. According to the monitoring service, the. vessels were heading to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

First volunteers and responders have been attempting to contain. the spill and decrease its impact on Tobago's wildlife. Birds and. marine animals have been affected, so authorities continue. rescue and cleaning efforts to return them to their habitat,. Chief Secretary Augustine said.

(source: Reuters)