Disasters · UAE oil spillUmm Al Quwain spill: Beach closures widen as slick reaches more than 35 kmAired October 24, 2026 at 8:35 AM UTCWritten October 24, 2026 at 8:39 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07Oil turned the water black along Umm Al-Quawin's shore.0:10Authorities ordered all the Emirates beaches and coastal areas temporarily closed,0:15and Sharjah added another precautionary beach closure.0:18Fishermen have stopped working in affected waters.0:20The immediate question is whether crews can prevent more oil reaching shore,0:24especially around vulnerable island habitats.0:26Sharjah announced the temporary closure of Al Hamria Beach on Friday, October 23.0:31Authorities took that precaution against approaching pollution.0:34Oil had already reached shores in neighboring Umm al-Khuwain, where the wider0:39coastal shutdown was announced.0:40The closure covers more coastline than the locations where oil has been confirmed.0:44It doesn't mean every beach is contaminated.0:46Al-Hamriya's closure announcement also gave no confirmation that oil had reached0:50that beach.0:51In Um Al-Khuwain, access depends on technical assessments and the safety measures0:56authorities identified.0:57The slick stretched more than 35 kilometers from the tanker by October 21.1:01That's 22 miles across the water.1:04The measurement describes how far the oil extended from the vessel.1:07It doesn't measure contaminated beach length or the quantities spilled.1:10A smaller leak was visible on October 19th, then expanded rapidly over the next two1:15days.1:15So oil was leaking earlier in the week.1:17Friday brought the additional beach closure and continuing response work.1:21The exact moment the leak began is still unclear.1:24Municipal teams are monitoring coastal conditions, coordinating affected locations,1:28and supporting cleanup and treatment.1:30Local and federal authorities are coordinating the response.1:33Specialists are assessing environmental effects as conditions change, while1:36surveillance continues along the coast to identify further pollution.1:42The fishing interruption is already real.1:44Fishermen in Umm Al Quain stopped fishing in affected areas under the authorities'1:47instructions.1:48Other sea users have also been told to follow restrictions and avoid those grounds1:52while containment and assessment work continues.1:54The tanker damage dates to October 9th and 10.1:57The smaller leak was visible on October 19th, and the slick reached more than 352:02kilometers by October 21.2:04Al Hemriya's closure followed on October 23rd.2:07Well, after the earlier vessel incident, the leaking vessel's location and2:11dimensions matched Gem No.2, a Panama-flagged crude oil tanker described as 3302:16meters long.2:17Maritime security company Vanguard said an unknown projectile struck it just north2:21of Al Jazeera Al Hamra on October 9th, starting a fire.2:24The fire was later extinguished.2:26Crew members moved across the deck and put on life jackets beneath a large cloud of2:29black smoke.2:31All 22 Indian crew members were rescued, and the Indian consulate confirmed their2:35rescue on October 11th.2:36No casualties from the shoreline spill have been reported.2:39The Environment Ministry hasn't named the tanker.2:42The imagery points to a vessel matching Gem No.2, but investigators still need to2:47determine how the earlier damage relates to the later leakage.2:50The description of an unknown projectile doesn't identify who fired it.2:53The ministry says the odors noticed in Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm al-Kuwain pose no2:58health risk to residents.2:59Its advice still includes staying away from washed up oil and avoiding fishing in3:03affected areas.3:04That assessment concerns the smell.3:06Residents in Dubai and the northern emirates had described a strong, acrid,3:10fuel-like smell.3:11Oil can move with currents and collect in rotating circulation patterns.3:15Heat and wind encourage evaporation, which can release fuel-like odors far from3:19visibly contaminated water.3:21Khalifa University's Diana Francis explains that floating oil keeps moving unless3:25it's removed while some evaporates.3:27Air quality professor Prashant Kumar says smells can travel tens of kilometers3:32depending on wind and weather.3:33Their explanations don't measure residents' exposure during this spill.3:37The slick extends towards Sinia and Hor al-Beida Islands, a recognized key3:41biodiversity area.3:43Their habitats include corals, seagrasses, and salt marshes.3:46Green turtles live there along with the critically endangered halavi guitarfish.3:50The proximity makes preventing further spread especially important.3:53Marine scientist Steve Whitticomb called it inevitable that there will be an impact,3:58while stressing that its extent can't yet be assessed.4:01Environmental scientist Eogon Derbyshire called the proximity to those island4:05habitats the most concerning environmental angle.4:08Oil can trap turtles, foul seabirds' feathers, and damage fish gills.4:12Longer exposure to toxic compounds can affect reproduction.4:15Those are possible effects of oil exposure.4:18The damage here will depend on the oil's amount and type, how it breaks down, and4:22how effectively crews remove it.4:23Marine scientist John Burt says floating barriers that contain and collect oil4:28before it reaches shore offer the ideal response.4:30He's describing an option crews can use.4:32He also warns that coastal cleanup can be expensive and recovery after a spill can4:36take years.4:37That warning describes what coastal spills can do.4:40The recovery time for this coast is still unknown.4:42Crews are working to limit further contamination, but authorities haven't announced4:45that the entire slick is contained or given a cleanup completion date.4:49By the October 24th reporting cutoff, authorities hadn't announced a reopening date4:53for either technical teams still have to assess conditions and identify the safety4:57and marine protection measures needed before restrictions can be lifted.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗
