Sawt Falasteen - Two vessels involved in Trinidad oil spill

Authorities had been scrambling to figure out what happened after a mystery vessel -- now understood to be the barge -- capsized on February 7, after having made no emergency calls and with no sign of crew, and no clear sign of ownership.

Divers had previously spotted the name "Gulfstream" on the oil-leaking barge's side. The Coast Guard has "confirmed that the barge was being towed by a tug, the Solo Creed, from Panama," according to the statement.

Investigations by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard revealed that the vessels "appear to have been bound for Guyana," according to a statement from the Ministry of National Security.

"However, the Guyanese authorities have confirmed that neither vessel arrived as anticipated. At this state, it is not known whether any lives have been lost in the incident," it continued.

It said satellite imagery had shown the Solo Creed tugging an object on February 4.

"We have been working very closely with the Guyana Coast Guard in this critical matter and we appreciate their full-scale support," said Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds, in the statement.

Hundreds of volunteers have been toiling since Thursday to halt the spread of the oil, and the government has asked for even more to lend a hand.

The leak has damaged a reef and Atlantic beaches, and residents of the village of Lambeau have been advised to wear masks or temporarily relocate.

The spill comes at the height of carnival, threatening the tourist business that is crucial to the dual-island nation's economy.

P.Tamimi--SF-PST