Japanese relief team leaves for Mauritius

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) dispatched a second response team of experts to Mauritius, where a Japanese ship ran aground on a coral reef and spilled 1,000 tons of oil on the Indian Ocean island's protected coastline.

The relief team was seen at the Narita Airport in Tokyo ahead of their departure Wednesday

Work began Monday to remove the two pieces of the grounded Japanese ship, Wakasio, that hit a coral reef on July 25.

After being pounded by heavy waves for several days the vessel cracked and started leaking oil on August 6.

The damaged ship spilled over 1,000 tons of its cargo of 4,000 tons of fuel into the turquoise waters of the Mahebourg Lagoon, one of the island's most pristine coastal areas.

The seven-member relief team will be carrying out work to support activities related to oil control and environment efforts.

The first response team was dispatched earlier last week.