大象传媒

When the oil tanker the MV Wakashio hit a reef off Mauritius, she was carrying 4,000 tonnes of oil.

There's never a good place for an oil spill, but this was off a sanctuary known for rare wildife, and the island relies heavily on the income generated by the tourists visiting its pristine beaches.

Most of the oil was pumped off the ship, but a small amount remains on board. Now the ship has broken in two.

Vassen Kauppaymuthoo an oceanographer and environmental engineer explains the effect of the disaster.

(Photo: The MV Wakashio split in two after running aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Credit: EPA)