Muscat: Oil leaking from a tanker grounded near Al-Qibliya Island has affected some beaches in Oman's southeastern Ras Madrakah area, the country's Environment Authority said Wednesday. The contamination could ultimately spread across a 25-mile (40-kilometer) stretch of the local coastline, the authority said in a statement carried by the state-run Oman News Agency.

According to Anadolu Agency, there is also a possibility that the southern beaches of Masirah Island will be affected in the coming hours along a stretch ranging from 10 kilometers (6 miles) to 20 kilometers (12 miles). Specialized response teams are working to contain the spill and mitigate its overall impact, according to the authority.

Omani officials have urged the public, including fishermen and beachgoers, to avoid contact with visible pollutants and report them immediately. Earlier Wednesday, the International Maritime Organization told Anadolu that oil leaking from the grounded tanker had begun reaching the Omani mainland.

The crude oil tanker Caroline Bezengi grounded off Oman on June 30 and was carrying approximately 130,000 tons of oil at the time, according to the UN shipping agency.