On 27 December 2021, a Mauritian court handed down a 20-month prison sentence to the captain and first mate of a freighter that caused the Indian Ocean archipelago's worst environmental disaster.
The MV Wakashio, a Japanese-owned but Panamanian-flagged vessel, ran aground in July 2020, spilling over 1,000 tonnes of toxic fuel into the pristine waters of Mauritius.
According to magistrate Ida Dookhy Rambarrun, the court took into consideration the fact that both defendants pleaded guilty and apologised.
The vessel's captain, Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, admitted drinking during an onboard party, while the first officer, Hitihanillage Subhoda Janendra Tilakaratna, was found guilty of 'endangering safe navigation.'
The accident occurred near two ecologically critical sites: Blue Bay, known for its coral gardens, and Pointe D'Esny, which hosts a mangrove forest.
Thousands of volunteers and protesters took to the streets in the aftermath of the disaster, highlighting the government's reaction to the environmental catastrophe.
