Finger-pointing begins over Mauritius oil spill

As salvage teams rush to pump oil out of a Japanese-owned ship grounded off the coast of Mauritius, politicians on shore are starting to spread the blame.

The government has called the situation an "environmental crisis", and following a request from Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, France and Japan have assisted.

But opposition politicians are demanding to know how Mr Jugnauth's government could have allowed the spill in the first place.

Meanwhile, the Reuters new agency quotes an inspection body in Japan as saying the vessel passed its annual check in March without any problems.

Cracks in the hull of the MV Wakashio are getting worse, according to the police, whose spokesman Shiva Cooten told the BBC on Tuesday "anything" could happen.