The MV Naomh Eanna, which used to take people to and from the Aran Islands, recently capsized.

Thousands of people have taken part in a protest in the capital of Mauritius over the government’s handling of an oil spill from a grounded Japanese ship and the alarming discovery of dozens of dead dolphins in recent days.

At least 14 dead dolphins have washed up on the coast of Mauritius, where a Japanese ship ran aground last month and spilled more than a thousand tonnes of fuel, environmental groups have said.

Work has begun to remove the two pieces of a grounded Japanese ship that leaked tons of oil into the protected coast off Mauritius and broke apart.

The grounded Japanese ship that leaked tons of oil near protected areas off the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius has split apart, officials said, with remaining fuel spreading into the turquoise waters.

Mauritius says it is seeking compensation from the owners of a Japanese ship that spilled oil after it grounded in the shallow waters off the Indian Ocean island nation, while urgent efforts continue to pump out the remaining fuel.

Urgent efforts have increased in Mauritius to empty a stranded Japanese ship of an estimated 2,500 tonnes of oil before the vessel breaks up.

Residents of the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius stuffed fabric sacks with sugar cane leaves on Saturday to create makeshift oil spill barriers as tons of fuel leaking from a grounded ship put endangered wildlife in further peril.

The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has declared a “state of environmental emergency” after a Japanese-owned ship that ran aground two weeks ago began spilling tons of fuel.