Ecuador declares environmental emergency due to oil spill near Esmeraldas River

Quito: Ecuador declared an environmental emergency due to an oil spill near Esmeraldas River in the northwestern coastal province of the country.

Ecuadorian authorities said that part of the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System (SOTE) exploded in the El Vergel area near the Esmeraldas River, about 160 kilometers northwest of the capital, Quito.

Authorities indicated that the explosion was caused by landslides in the area, which witnessed heavy rains.

Petroecuador said it is working to contain and recover the spilled oil but it did not provide an estimate of the amount of crude oil spilled.

According to Petroecuador, SOTE is the engine of the country's economy, with a capacity of 360,000 barrels per day. The 497.7-kilometer pipeline spans the Amazon, Sierra, and Costa regions.