Eco-disaster Caused By A Yacht Caught On Fire On Playa El Hongo Waters In Balandra Area In Baja Sur

ALFREDO AZCARATE VARELA
THE BAJA POST/EDITOR

Playa El Hongo is a beach located in the so-called Balandra Area of Baja California Sur, it has been closed until further notice, so that the company accountable for the ecological disaster caused by a hatch burning out, can clean the area without risking visitors

A luxury yacht caught fire in the sea just in front El Hongo, and caused a serious pollution problem, according to information from the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT, it left traces of oil, diesel, ash and soot on the surface of the Balandra B Restricted Use Subzone, commonly known as such as the Hongo beach, as well as garbage and burnt remains of the sunken yacht.

Volunteers, personnel from the Environmental Protection Attorney, the Navy and other public and private organizations work together trying to clean the diesel, oil and other substances, which polluted one of Mexico´s most beautiful beaches, harm brought down by a yacht burning near the seashore.

National Navy and other authorities, together with people from the Citizen Observer Network (ROC), toured the area in order to detect and clean, the beach will remain shut down, since the amount of hydrocarbons in the site is considerable, this will allow the company, or the yacht owner to carry out the cleaning and to safeguard visitors’ safety.

The fire of the “Fortius” vessel caused the damage on August 21 in the Balandra Flora and Fauna Protection Area, the Port Authority rescued 12 people, the yacht occupants, and took immediate action in order to solve the problem, and the causes of the fire have not been disclosed.

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The following day, a complaint was filed before the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) against anyone who could be held accountable for alleged violations of legal provisions that regulate environmental protection, preservation and restoration of the ecological balance.

The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas requests immediate intervention by the company, which is responsible for the accident, to carry out actions to monitor the quality of water and the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone, as well as any action that ensures the conservation of the ecosystems of this Natural Area. Protected (PNA). Conanp (Natural Areas Protection Commission) rejects this type of incident and will promptly report on the cleaning work being carried out in the Natural Protected Area.