Oil spill in Ecuador river brings emergency declaration / Photo: Handout - MUNICIPALITY of ESMERALDAS/AFP
-
South Korean survivor fights for workplace harassment 'justice'
-
Messi scores but Miami slump continues with loss to Toronto
-
Starc strikes as Bangladesh struggle to stay alive in 2nd Test
-
Sydney marathon unveils medal with wrong stadium
-
Prince Harry: royal misfit making unlikely UK return
-
Macron hosts Saudi's MBS for visit ranging from esports to Mideast
-
Blowing in the wind, humble balloon gets green makeover
-
Australia in control with 146-run first innings lead over Bangladesh
-
Pegula dethrones Swiatek to reach Cincinnati final
-
World No. 3 Pegula beats defending champ Swiatek to reach Cincy final
-
IndyCars zip among iconic Washington landmarks ahead of Freedom 250
-
Wyndham Clark surges clear at BMW Championship
-
Real Madrid snatch late win at Espanyol on Mourinho's return
-
Maresca says Man City must fill Rodri void after Barca switch
-
Real Madrid beat Espanyol in Mourinho's first game on return
-
Canada retaliates as trade war with US escalates
-
Olise helps Bayern past Dortmund in German Supercup
-
Fils dominates Cobolli to book Cincinnati final
-
Coach Rennie hails clinical All Blacks after Springboks Test win
-
Spurs lacked fight in dismal defeat at Brentford says De Zerbi
-
Charlton deliver blow to 'under pressure' Hammers boss Nuno
-
Inter thrash Monza to launch Serie A title defence
-
Carrick keeps calm despite Man Utd misery, big-spending Spurs crushed
-
Shambolic Spurs battered by Brentford
-
Canada's Carney stands up to Trump, despite risks
-
Pogacar wins Vuelta a Espana opening stage
-
Lens hammer Auxerre thanks to Thauvin penalty double
-
Clinical New Zealand shock wasteful South Africa in first Test
-
No singles for Serena, but she joins Alcaraz for US Open
-
Canada hits back with new tariffs after trade talks with US fail
-
Joao Pedro extends Chelsea stay with new long-term deal
-
Swedish police identify 17-year-old girl as victim in school sword attack
-
Yamaguchi to face An in hunt for fourth badminton world crown
-
Carrick keeps calm despite Man Utd misery, Sage beaten in first game as Palace boss
-
Norris clinches pole for Dutch GP
-
France to deliver interceptor missiles to Ukraine after new Russian strikes
-
Norris clinches pole for Dutch Grand Prix
-
Serena Williams and Alcaraz unite in US Open mixed doubles
-
Pope Leo calls for courage in Rimini visit after stop in tiny San Marino
-
Macron pledges air defence as 13 killed in Russia, Ukraine strikes
-
Man Utd must learn from 'frustrating' defeat at Hull: Carrick
-
DR Congo capital wary of Ebola nightmare
-
Yamaguchi on course for fourth badminton world crown
-
Swedish police name 17-year-old girl as victim in school sword attack
-
Man Utd humiliated by Hull in dismal start to Premier League season
-
South Korea sends first container ship through Arctic route
-
Anthropic market debut could break SpaceX IPO record: media
-
Trescothick eager to keep England job despite Hussey approach
-
Pope's 'couturier of the sacred' fueled by faith
-
Indonesia deploys hundreds of soldiers to tackle Borneo fires
Oil spill in Ecuador river brings emergency declaration
An oil spill in northwestern Ecuador has turned a river black, prompting authorities to declare an environmental emergency amid "unprecedented" damage and to order residents to ration drinking water, officials said.
The spill, believed caused when a landslide ruptured a major oil pipeline, has turned waters black in a section of the Esmeraldas River, in the province of the same name.
The Emergency Operations Committee in the provincial capital, also called Esmeraldas, declared the environmental emergency.
Vilko Villacis, mayor of the city of more than 200,000 inhabitants, said the leak had caused "unprecedented" damages. His office halted the diversion of river water to an aqueduct supplying the city, and urged citizens to ration water.
On Friday, state-owned Petroecuador said it was working to address the emergency at the pipeline, part of the Trans-Ecuadoran Pipeline System (SOTE) which transports crude oil from the Amazon.
The company has not estimated the volume of oil spilled.
Ecuador last year produced 475,000 barrels of crude a day, exporting 72 percent of the total.
The SOTE is the most used pipeline system in the country, with the capacity to transport 360,000 barrels per day on the 500-kilometer (310-mile) journey from the Amazon to the Pacific coast.
H.Darwish--SF-PST
