A state of emergency has been announced in the Galapagos after a cargo ship with hazardous materials ran aground close to the islands, which lie 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.
The Floreana, which was carrying supplies to the islands, ran aground a week ago, destroying the freighter’s hull, but the state of emergency has only just been declared as those living in the Galapagos are beginning to suffer food shortages and high prices.
The emergency will allow authorities to deal with the situation, a Galapagos National Park spokesman told news agencies. Ecuadorian air force planes will deliver perishable goods and supplies to the islands and another ship is being commissioned to start operating to the Galapagos next month.
The grounding of the Floreana was the third such accident in the Galapagos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the past year.
