Ci dessous l’intégralité du communiqué:

<p>Nagashiki Shipping Co., Ltd. the owner and manager of bulk carrier Wakashio, report the following update in relation to the grounding of the vessel off the island of Mauritius on Jul 25, 2020 and the resulting breach of a bunker tank on Aug 6, 2020:</p>

<p>At approximately 0030 hrs, local time on Aug 19, the forward section of the hull was successfully re-floated and towed offshore to an area designated by the authorities. After that, they moved to the sea area designated by the Mauritius authorities to sink the hull and started work at 2100 hrs, local time, Aug 21. At 1500 hrs, local time, Aug 24, the front part of the hull was submerged and allowed to sink in the designated sea area of Mauritian territorial waters, in accordance with the instructions of the authorities.</p>

<p>The team of salvage experts are in close liaison with the relevant authorities and continue to work on a plan for the safe removal of the stern section of the vessel. As of Jul 25, local time, when the vessel ran aground, it had approximately 3,800 MT of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and 200 MT of Diesel Oil (DO) on board. It is estimated that around 3,000 MT of this oil had been recovered from the vessel by Aug 12. It is estimated that almost all lubricating oil and residue, which is estimated to remain on board as of Aug 20, had been collected by Aug 23.</p>

<p>A team of specialists continue to work on recovering the remaining oil from the sea and coastal areas. The expert team, appointed by the owner, continue to work in close cooperation with the authorities and local volunteers.</p>

<p>Members from Nagashiki Shipping Co., Ltd. who arrived on site for the purpose of local response have been restricted for 14 days, based on measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 infection in the area. They were granted permission to go out by the authorities, on Aug 23. They visited the area where the spilled oil drifted and gathered information for supplies needed. The procurement and transportation of materials will be considered as soon as information from the local area is received.</p>

<p>We will continue to cooperate with the authorities of Mauritius and Japan to work and resolve the situation as soon as possible and will do our utmost to prevent the spread of oil and protect the environment.</p>