Environmental experts and independent researchers are monitoring an oil spill in Karachi’s coastal area surrounding Charna Island.

which has spread over 1.5 kilometres and is threatening the environment and the marine life.

The oil slick near Mubarak Village was spotted by the locals when the high sea tides left black “globs” behind on the beach, making the residents worry about the potential damage to the island’s flora and fauna.

The slick was first thought to have been caused by an oil spillage from the nearby refineries, with some reports suggesting that the oil spilled after a pipeline owned by Byco Petroleum burst.

However, environmental experts responding to the situation shared that the slick was not crude oil but weathered oil, which had been present in Arabian Sea for some time and had probably been carried to the beach by high tides and winds.

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) of Balochistan said on Thursday that its survey teams, Pakistan Navy, Byco and independent experts would begin investigating the incident from today.

The oil slick has the residents worried about their livelihoods, and the strong stench from the spillage is making it difficult for them to go towards the shoreline.

Furthermore, a team from the National Institute of Oceanography has collected samples of the oil slick for fingerprinting purposes earlier today.

According to the officials, the fingerprints would help to trace the source of the oil slick so that remedial measures can be taken. 

The team has already spotted a number of dead crabs and fish littering the beach. The real extent of the damage is yet to be determined.

Mubarak Village is a fishing village in Kimari Town near Karachi, located along the shore of Arabian Sea. The village is a popular tourist destination, known as the gateway to the small, pristine Charna Island.

Almost nearly 1,200 oil cargo ships sail through Arabian Sea every month.