Environmental
State of emergency in Micronesia due to WWII wreck oil leak
Federated States of Micronesia declared a state of emergency after toxic oil began leaking from a sunken WWII Japanese ship in Chuuk Lagoon, threatening marine life, coral reefs, and fisheries.
Micronesian President Wesley Simina has declared a state of emergency for Chuuk State following the discovery of a growing oil leak from the Rio de Janeiro Maru, a Japanese shipwreck from World War II located in Chuuk Lagoon. The spill poses severe risks to the lagoon’s fragile coral reefs and fish stocks, which local communities depend on for food and livelihoods. Governor Alexander R. Narruhn initially declared the state of emergency after divers detected leaking oil days earlier, prompting urgent calls for international technical and financial assistance. The government warns the scale of the crisis exceeds national capacity, and the UN system in Micronesia is mobilizing rapid assessments and response support.
- Status
- active
- Location
- Chuuk Lagoon, Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia
- Date added
- 2026-03-26 06:58 UTC
- Last updated
- 2026-03-26 06:58 UTC
- Source
- Pacific Island Times
- Connected threats
- Not provided