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 on Thursday 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.Minister of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador Ines Manzano said the declaration will facilitate the deployment of resources and specialized teams to mitigate the impact of the spill in the area.Manzano added that water quality will be monitored, as will the emergency and clean-up operation being carried out by the responsible company, the state-owned oil company Petroecuador.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.Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said on the social media platform X that the company must assume its responsibility and noted that, unlike in the past, this time the company will be held accountable for its actions.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.
