Copernicus satellite images on Oct. 24 show an offshore oil spill from a damaged
tanker expanding toward the coast of Umm Al Quwain in northern UAE, with large
dark patches spreading along the shoreline and multiple beaches closed. UAE
authorities say response teams are working to contain the spill and the Ministry
of Climate Change and Environment has begun an environmental assessment;
officials have not identified the vessel or released a cause. Experts have
pointed to a tanker named Gem No.2 as the likely source; shipping sources say
the ship was reportedly struck by an unidentified drone last month and caught
fire before the blaze was extinguished. Northern emirates’ authorities have
restricted public access to affected coastal areas.
