Peru oil spill caused by Tonga waves is an 'ecological disaster': Peru demands compensation
The Peruvian government said that an oil spill on the Peruvian coast during high waves from the volcanic explosion in Tonga caused an "ecological disaster” in Peru . The foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that the oil spill had harmed animal and plant life in protected zones over a combined area of some 18,000 square kilometres in the country. Reportedly, the La Pampilla refinery has leaked over 6,000 barrels of oil after a tanker was hit by the volcanic explosion. It also affected islands and fishing regions. La Pampilla is Peru's largest refinery. It supplies more than half of the local fuel market. La Pampilla is built just off the town of Ventanilla in the Lima region. Reportedly, the refinery did not have a contingency plan for an oil spill. Foreign ministry officials have urged operator Repsol, a Spanish oil giant, to pay compensation for the damage caused by the spill on Saturday. The ministry claimed that the explosion affected hundreds of fishermen’s famil...