A presumed FARC attack on an oil pipeline in the southern Colombian Nariño department is causing an environmental emergency as crude oil spills into two local rivers.
Ecopetrol, Colombia’s largest petroleum company, announced that the spill occurred after an attack on a pipe in the Cordoba municipality on Sunday night. The attack reportedly caused an explosion which resulted in a fire and the spillage of crude oil into the Sucio and Guamuez rivers.
Ecopetrol said it had placed buoys along the rivers in an attempt to stop the oil spill reaching other rivers, such as the Putumayo.
However, Ecopetrol’s technical team has been unable to access the site of the attack to contain the spill due to security concerns, with guerrillas thought to be in the area.
The petroleum company has warned local communities not to use the contaminated water.
The 305 kilometer pipeline transports 25,000 barrels of crude oil a day from oil fields in Putumayo to Tumaco, Nariño.