Oil spill off Pakistan worse than first thought

This is very bad news. So thats why the govt. had stopped issuing empty statements in the last 2 days as I had written “before”:http://ko.offroadpakistan.com/pakistan/2003_08/day_9_navy_ship_resumes_oil_salvage_from_tasman_spirit.html. I wish the Pakistani news sites would also follow this as fast as the foreign news services seem to be. So far, places like Radio Australia, the BBC, Japanese news … Read moreOil spill off Pakistan worse than first thought

Day 10-12: Oil Spill

Today is the day the federal govt. said/claimed the oil salvage operation will finish, and the beaches about ready to open. The govt. seems deaf, dumb and blind to all expert suggestions. Over the last few days a number of foriegn experts have criticized the handling the salvage operation and the clean up. Some of … Read moreDay 10-12: Oil Spill

Day 9: Navy ship resumes oil salvage from Tasman Spirit

The Fair Jolly has “broken down”, and the Pakistan Navy has finally decided to “join the salvage operation”:http://www.timespk.com/2003/august/25/top.htm. They’re using barges now to transfer the oil. Besides the “local environment”:http://www.dawn.com/2003/08/25/local2.htm, the oil spill is also “affecting small fisherman”:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_25-8-2003_pg7_22. No predictions anymore by the ever upbeat Ahmed Ali on how long it’s going to take. It … Read moreDay 9: Navy ship resumes oil salvage from Tasman Spirit

Day 8: More oil spills

The foriegn experts are “not happy with the cleaning operation”:http://www.dawn.com/2003/08/24/local1.htm. The local govt. has been doing it’s best to deny anything and everything they can deny. Soon, they won’t even acknowledge that there is an oil spill in progress. * Mr Ahmed Ali, federal minister of communications: “the shore of Karachi is so polluted that … Read moreDay 8: More oil spills

Troubled waters off the coast of Karachi

_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.

Read moreTroubled waters off the coast of Karachi

Day 6: Heavy operational spillage from Tasman Spirit

bq. KARACHI, August 22 (Online): Bad weather and rough sea on Thursday caused heavy spillage of crude oil from Tasman Spirit, besides holding up the lighterage operation being undertaken by the Karachi Port Trust (KPT). >> “Pak Tribune”:http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=35911, “The News”:http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2003-daily/22-08-2003/main/main5.htm A good article in the Dawn about the absence of our beloved leaders. The kickbacks … Read moreDay 6: Heavy operational spillage from Tasman Spirit

Day 5: Oil Spill

The New Scientest reports the the “wind worsens Pakistan oil spill”:http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994077. The “WWF-Pakistan”:http://www.wwfpak.org/ have put together a good “page of news and information”:http://www.wwfpak.org/news.htm about the oil castrophe, along with “pictures of the oil spill”:http://www.wwfpak.org/oilpic.htm. Some concerened are “calling for action”:http://www.chowk.com/show_article.cgi?aid=00002478&channel=civic%20center but it’s not going to do any good. The real question is, what will Musharraf … Read moreDay 5: Oil Spill

Day 3 of Oil Salvage Operation

The foreign experts brought in by the KPT want the the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the city government to “stop their beach-cleaning operations”:http://www.dawn.com/2003/08/19/local1.htm. They really can’t seem to get *anything* right! In other related news, “all four oil tankers acquired by the PNSC are unseaworthy”:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_19-8-2003_pg7_39. The EPA has finally decided … Read moreDay 3 of Oil Salvage Operation

Day 2 of Oil Salvage Operation

Slowly, slowly the “oil salvage”:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_18-8-2003_pg1_3 “operation”:http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2003-daily/18-08-2003/metro/k1.htm goes on. It will take an estimated 10 days to empty out the Tasman Spirit of some 35,000 tons of oil. Two days have now passed by. If we had Fox News around here then we would be getting a minute by minute update. Instead, every day some reporter … Read moreDay 2 of Oil Salvage Operation