2.500 litres of Diesel from a wrecked boat threatened the world natural heritage from Ecuador. Now the Situation should be under control.

marine iguanas in Puerto Ayora, The Galapagos Islands natural heritage site photo: Guillermo Legaria/dpa

BERLIN taz/dpa/afp | After a ship accident in the Galapagos Islands since 1978, the world of Ecuador authorities have prevented, according to a natural disaster: The spread of diesel fuel from the sinking ship was "under control", said Ecuador's government on Sunday. "A number of measures have been taken to mitigate the potential impact," said the communications office of the President.

Previously had to call the authorities of a state of emergency because of leaking diesel fuel from a sinking ship, the Islands are threatened. It was instituted "emergency measures" to the environmental hazards for one of the most sensitive and pristine Ecosystems of the earth contain, as Minister of the environment, Raúl Ledesma wrote on Twitter. The Galapagos national Park tweeted, would it erected protective barriers and oil-absorbing agents are used. On the ship, the equivalent of 2500 litres have been stored diesel fuel. This threatened to pollute the sensitive biodiversity of the Islands.

The accident had happened in front of the easternmost island of the archipelago, San Cristóbal,. According to authorities, a crane collapsed at the port of the island, wanted to load a Container with a power generator on the cargo ship. The falling containers have brought the ship to Sink, the power generator went under. A man was injured.

The military, and employees of the Galapagos national Park, built barriers to reduce the impact of the disaster. Galapagos-Minister Norman Wray told reporters, is currently being worked on, the spilled diesel fuel to absorb. The Generator, which should provide the largest Galapagos island, Isabela with energy, as well as the load-ship will be replaced "as soon as possible".

The food supply on the Galapagos Islands, was not compromised in spite of the accident, said Wray. The same ship used for the Transport of fuel and building materials on the Galapagos Islands, was dropped in February 2018, due to unequal to the shift in Weights in a port on the Guayas river. Also in 2015 there was a wreck in front of Galapagos. At that time, the authorities had to call immediately the emergency and the greater environment can prevent damage.

1978 by the Unesco world heritage-listed Galapagos Islands, 1,000 kilometers to the West of the South American coast. The diversity of species on the volcanic Islands is unique in the world. The British scientist Charles Darwin developed after his visit to the Islands, his theory of evolution.