Oil spill shuts UAE beaches after tanker strike near Hormuz
What's new: Ras Al Khaimah closed all beaches as the slick spread at least 35 km and neared sensitive wildlife habitats.
An oil spill from a tanker hit near the Strait of Hormuz has forced beach closures across parts of the United Arab Emirates, with Ras Al Khaimah shutting all beaches and nearby Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah also restricting coastal areas. BBC Verify reported satellite images showed the slick stretching more than 35 kilometers from a vessel matching the crude tanker Gem No. 2, damaged between Oct. 9 and 10. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said containment and environmental assessment efforts were under way. Scientists warned the spill could harm marine life and threatened the Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, a key biodiversity area with corals, seagrasses, green turtles and the critically endangered Halavi guitarfish.