A demonstrator wearing a fish mask protests in front of the Repsol office in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2022. The demonstrators were there to protest after Peru declared an environmental emergency after announcing that 21 beaches on the Pacific coast were contaminated by an oil spill at a refinery run by Spain-based Repsol, following surging waves caused by the eruption of an underwater volcano near Tonga. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
The Associated Press
LIMA, Peru (AP) - A Peruvian judge on Friday banned Repsol's Peru director and three other executives from leaving the country for 18 months while the government investigates an oil spill at a refinery run by the Spain-based company.
Peru authorities are investigating Repsol following the oil spill on Jan. 15, which was reported after surging waves caused by the eruption of an underwater volcano near Tonga.
Peru declared last week an environmental emergency after announcing that 21 beaches on its Pacific coast were contaminated by the spill. Prosecutors also opened an investigation for the crime of environmental contamination.
Peruvian authorities on Friday raised the estimate of the size of the spill to at least 11,900 barrels and said that figure could rise. Repsol put the spill at 10,396 barrels. The earlier estimate had been at least 6,000 barrels.
Judge Romualdo Aguedo imposed the ban after considering there's a 'œpotential risk'ť that Repsol's Peru director, Jaime Fernández-Cuesta, and three executives would leave the country. The company has said that it's cooperating with the authorities in the investigation and also working on the cleaning of the beaches affected.
Repsol hired more than 2,000 people, including local fishermen, to clean the beaches. The company has also promised to deliver food baskets to affected families.
Workers clean oil on Cavero Beach in the Ventanilla district of Callao, Peru, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. The oil spill on the Peruvian coast was caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
The Associated Press
A worker checks the carcass of an oil-soaked bird during a clean-up campaign on Cavero Beach in the Ventanilla district of Callao, Peru, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. The oil spill on the Peruvian coast was caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
The Associated Press
A worker cleans oil from Cavero Beach in the Ventanilla district of Callao, Peru, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. The oil spill on the Peruvian coast was caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
The Associated Press
Workers remove oil from Cavero Beach in the Ventanilla district of Callao, Peru, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. The oil spill was caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
The Associated Press
A demonstrator protests in front of the Repsol office in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2022. The demonstrators were there to protest after Peru declared an environmental emergency after announcing that 21 beaches on the Pacific coast were contaminated by an oil spill at a refinery run by Spain-based Repsol, following surging waves caused by the eruption of an underwater volcano near Tonga. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
The Associated Press
Fisherman Walter de la Cruz sits on the oil stained Cavero Beach, unable to fish after a spill in the Ventanilla district of Callao, Peru, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. The oil spill on the Peruvian coast was caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
The Associated Press