At least two vessels, a barge and a tugboat, were involved in the accident last week that sparked a massive, ongoing oil spill in Trinidad and Tobago, the government of the Caribbean nation said Wednesday. The Coast Guard has "confirmed that the barge was being towed by a tug, the Solo Creed, from Panama," according to the statement. Investigations by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard revealed that the vessels "appear to have been bound for Guyana," according to a statement from the Ministry of National Security. "We have been working very closely with the Guyana Coast Guard in this critical matter and we appreciate their full-scale support," said Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds, in the statement. The spill comes at the height of carnival, threatening the tourist business that is crucial to the dual-island nation's economy.

Source: Daily Nation February 15, 2024 06:48 UTC