Mauritius has asked the United Nations for quick aid.
(c) Sky
The 'MV Wakashio' is believed to have been carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil as it ran aground on a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25th.
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth declared the state of emergency late on Friday and said the nation did not have "the skills and expertise to refloat stranded ships".
In a statement, the ship's owner, Nagashiki Shipping, said that "due to the bad weather and constant pounding over the past few days, the starboard side bunker tank of the vessel has been breached and an amount of fuel oil has escaped into the sea".
"This is the first time that we are faced with a catastrophe of this kind, and we are insufficiently equipped to handle this problem," Fishing Minister Sudheer Maudhoo said.
France has also pledged support to fight the spillage.
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