Maritime authorities denied that a massive oil spill in the gulf was to blame for the deaths of a dead dolphin and turtle discovered there over the weekend.
Sophon Thongdee, director of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, said yesterday that autopsy results concluded the animals died before 160,000 liters were pumped into the water Tuesday by a broken pipeline off the coast of eastern Rayong province.
He said the examination found the dolphin had been dead for seven to 10 days, according to the autopsy, without any oil traces found. He said its cause of death could not be determined due to the “very rotten condition” of the carcass.
The 9 biggest oil spills in Thai history
As for the sea turtle found near the Rayong shoreline, forensic findings indicated it had been dead at least five to seven days and likely suffered from a chronic…
