A capsized shipwreck mysteriously washes up on the shore, causing a massive oil spill.
The ship ran aground on the southwest coast of the Caribbean island of Tobago at around 7am local time (3am UK time) on Wednesday.
Officials said the oil spill occurred from a boat called the Gulfstream about 200 meters off the coast of the Cove Eco Industrial Park.
However, the source of the damaged boat has not yet been determined.
Farley Augustine, principal secretary of the country’s central government body, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), declared the situation an “emergency”.
He said divers were sent to search the sea to see if “there were any souls on board the ship at the time of capsizing.”
Photos from the scene show huge waves of thick black oil rolling across the coastline, completely changing the color of the water.
Several coastal areas were affected by the oil spill, including Kilgwyn Bay, Canoe Bay, Petit Troupe Lagoon, Rockley Bay and Topaz Beach.
According to local reports, clean-up exercises are underway involving multiple organizations and agencies to contain and eradicate the oil spill.
Augustine declared the oil spill an 11th disaster, requiring state aid.
But he said the island was likely to require international assistance soon.
People are being asked not to fish in the area, and swimmers and jet ski operators are also being told to stay away.
“Please do not intentionally visit the area or enter the area by boat,” Augustine added. “This is not an opportunity for us to go sightseeing or to sulk.
“Please be cautious and avoid the area at all costs. There is no need to enter that particular area immediately.”
Last month, a mysterious ghost ship washed ashore on the U.S. coastline, centuries after it sank.
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