The spill is estimated to be 1.14 million barrels of oil, 4-times the size of the Exxon Valdez spill, and if no action is taken soon. The stranded tanker off the coast of Yemen is expected to break in half causing a massive environmental disaster.
“From above it’s a pin prick in the waters off Yemen. But experts say this decaying oil tanker is like a floating bomb that could go off at any moment. Fears over the fate of the stranded supertanker are growing for more than five years. Experts warn the tanker may soon break apart, causing one of the largest oil spills in living memory, with devastating impacts on the environmment and the economy. But the vessel is being used as a bargaining chip in Yemen’s ongoing war.” (Deutsche Welle, 23 Sep 2020)