QUITO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- More than 25,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into rivers and coastal areas in northern Ecuador after a pipeline rupture, state-owned oil company Petroecuador said Tuesday.
The spill occurred on March 13 in Esmeraldas province along the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System, Ecuador's main oil pipeline.
Cleanup crews have since recovered over 30,000 barrels of oil mixed with water, which is being processed at the Esmeraldas Refinery, the company said.
Petroecuador has begun cleaning up affected rivers and beaches, including the Caple, Viche and Esmeraldas rivers, and is monitoring for oil traces along the coast.
The company also said sabotage may have caused the rupture but did not provide further details.
Local authorities have declared an environmental emergency in response to the spill. ■
