Damaged Oil Tanker Caroline Bezengi Leaks After Grounding Near Oman Island

The Caroline Bezengi, carrying up to 40 million gallons of oil, was damaged by an unexplained explosion on June 8 and later grounded on a rocky outcropping near a small, uninhabited island in the Gulf of Oman. Satellite images showed the first signs of an oil leak on June 30, according to John Amos, whose environmental nonprofit SkyTruth has been tracking the ship for weeks. He estimates that hundreds of thousands of gallons had spilled by Aug.

7. Five of the tanker's six cargo holds were filled with oil, meaning the vessel could have been carrying as much as 40 million gallons. The ship's owner has given no public indication that it is responding to the accident, and the tanker may not have adequate insurance. That has left Oman with responsibility for containing the spill and preventing a far larger disaster.

The government has deployed aircraft, divers and specialized personnel to assess the vessel and prepare mitigation efforts, according to Greenpeace. Ambrey, a British maritime security and salvage company, says crews are on their way to the tanker.