The captain and first officer of a dry bulk carrier which triggered the biggest environmental disaster in Mauritius have been sentenced to 20 months in prison in the Indian Ocean island nation.
They were sentenced in the Intermediate Court of Mauritius on Monday after both pleaded guilty to the charge of endangering safe navigation.
Mauritius battled widespread pollution following the oil spill, which threatened the livelihoods of communities that depend on the ocean, and the Blue Bay Marine reserve, popular with snorkelers.
The 300-meter long Japanese ship was en route to Brazil from China when it veered off course in the evening on July 25, 2020 and hit a coral reef.
Two weeks later, fuel oil started leaking with about 1,000 tons reaching the shores. The vessel then broke into two and sunk.
According to media reports, the captain of the ship admitted to drinking and partying. He agreed that the vessel sailed close to the Mauritian shores so that they could get mobile phone signals.