Oil spill reaches Langstrand

Floris Steenkamp

Oil is washing ashore as far as Langstrand, following an oil spill in the port of Walvis Bay on Sunday.

Residents notified the Directorate of Maritime Affairs which in the meantime confirmed the oil found on the beaches is heavy fuel oil and originates from the oil spill in the port of Walvis Bay.

“The oil type was determined to be heavy fuel oil, confirmed to have escaped from a vessel that is currently within the port of Walvis Bay. The damaged fuel tank of the vessel has since been located and isolated to prevent any further oil leakages. Containment booms have also been deployed around the vessel”, the Ministry of Works and Transport said in a press statement on Wednesday. The DMA resorts under the transport ministry.
The spill in the Langstrand area according to the press statement affects approximately one hundred metres of beach line. Residents differ with that statement and reports the oil to be as far north as the beaches beyond Langstrand and even the Dolphin Beach area.
The beach line is monitored and a clean up (funded by the vessel owner) is conducted under Government supervision.