Ship accidentally leaks three tonnes of fuel oil during bunkering stop in Canary Islands

Authorities in Spain's Canary Islands have ordered the closure of some local beaches after an oil slick was detected in the waters of Gran Canaria earlier this week.

Officials have reported that the spill was caused by an accidental leakage of very low-sulhur fuel oil (VLSFO) from an unidentified ship as it made a bunkering stop at the Port of La Luz near Gran Canaria's capital of Las Palmas on the evening (local time) of Wednesday, September 4.

An official said that the resulting slick was estimated to be two kilometres long and 400 metres wide and that it was being pushed by winds towards Telde municipality, though it has not yet made contact with the shore.

A number of emergency service agencies are monitoring the slick with the aid of a boat, a helicopter, and drones.

Telde mayor Juan Antonio Pena told Reuters that the contamination is of "a considerable magnitude," hence the large number of response assets that have been deployed.