_Fears of massive oil spill and ecological disaster grow as Tasman Spirit tanker, which ran aground on July 27, cracks in rough seas_
By *Kaleem Omar*, Pakistan’s premiere investigative journalist.
What was being feared for days finally happened on Thursday when the single-hull tanker Tasmin Spirit, which ran aground near the mouth of Karachi harbour in heavy monsoon storms three weeks ago, broke in two. Oil had already been spilling from the tanker for several days. On Wednesday a big crack developed in the hull, spilling thousands of tons of crude oil into the sea. Karachi Port Trust officials feared the crack could trigger an explosion and the crew was evacuated. Efforts to retrieve more oil from the tanker were also abandoned.