the United Nations' maritime agency said on Wednesday. An AFP investigation previously found that the ship had been stranded for weeks near Oman's Al-Qibliyyah island after it was damaged by explosions. The Oman News Agency (ONA) quoted the country's environment authority as saying that "today's monitoring results showed that some beaches in the Ras Madrakah area were affected by oil pollution". The Indian Ocean town sits more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Al-Qibliyya. A spokesperson for the UN's International Maritime Organization said it was "closely monitoring" leakage from the crude oil tanker Caroline Bezengi.

“The vessel grounded off Oman on 30 June and is currently around 22 nautical miles off the Omani coastal town of Sharbithat”, the spokesperson said. They added that oil was drifting offshore to the northeast of Al-Qibliyyah, with some reported as reaching the mainland, even as "the seasonal monsoon has limited access to the vessel and delayed salvage operations". Oman said on Monday it was working to contain the spill, which had affected roughly 390 square kilometers (150 square miles), according to the most recent analysis from the country's environment agency. The slick was concentrated around the Hallaniyat archipelago off the southern coast, where a marine reserve was established last year to protect sensitive ecosystems home to diverse marine life, including rare sea turtles. On Wednesday, the ONA reported that "a coastal stretch of up to 40 kilometers in the Ras Madrakah area is expected to be affected". The southern beaches of Masirah Island, spanning 10 to 20 kilometers, could be contaminated "in the coming hours", it said. (Bssnews)