BRAZIL – Thousands of people took part in a huge clean-up operation to remove oil and tar from beaches along the country’s north-eastern coast.
Volunteers and government workers used wheelbarrows, spades and plastic gloves to remove the thick tar from sand and water.
In Pernambuco state, 30 tons of oil was removed from beaches on Saturday alone.
The source of the spill, which was first detected on Sept. 2, remains a mystery.
It has affected wildlife and popular beaches including Praia do Futuro in Ceará, Maragogi in Alagoas, and Itacaré and Ilhéus in Bahia.
On Thursday, Ibama President Eduardo Bim said tests had proved the crude oil was produced in Venezuela but officials had not been able to identify the vessel responsible for the leak.(BBC)
