JAPAN's Nagashiki Shipping said the July 25 grounding of the 23,000-dwt Wakashio bulk carriers that caused an oil spill off Mauritius was due to a lack of safety awareness and a failure to follow rules as it pledged better training and oversight, Reuters reported.

The spill occurred off Pointe d'Esny, south of Mauritius, after the ship ran aground on a coral reef and leaked fuel oil before she broke apart in mid-August.

Although much of the oil on board Wakashio was pumped out before she broke in half, an estimated 1,000 tonnes of oil spilled into the ocean in what was called by some scientists the worst environmental disaster in history.

The findings were assumptions based on interviews with crew members, the company said.

A bulk carrier owned by Nagashiki and chartered by Mitsui OSK ran aground on a reef in Mauritius in July and began leaking oil, causing an ecological disaster in the seas around the Indian Ocean island. Four people died when a tug sank during attempts to retrieve oil in the ocean.

Said Wikipedia: The crew had been celebrating the birthday of a sailor on board the ship at the time of the grounding.

Mitsui OSK Lines, pledged JPY1 billion (US$9.4 million). The Mauritius Natural Environment Recovery Fund will "fund environmental projects and support the local fishing community", said Wikipedia.

The president of MOL cited the payment as their "social responsibility" while apologising for the damage. MOL also expects that shipowner Nagashiki Shipping will contribute to the fund, it said.