Black oil lumps mar Nha Trang coastline

The lumps were discovered along several beach sections spanning approximately three kilometers.

Thuy Diem, a tourist, and her family visited Nha Trang for the National Day holiday and encountered the oily lumps while visiting the beach on Monday morning. She said they accidentally stepped on several of them and had to use gasoline to clean them off.

An environmental worker stationed at Nha Trang beach reported that large amounts of these oil lumps have been appearing along the coastline since Sunday morning. "Hundreds of people have been complaining about stepping on these lumps," the worker said.

Huynh Binh Thai, head of the Nha Trang Bay Management Board, said that his team is collaborating with the Nha Trang Urban Environment Company to clean up the coastline. The board has also alerted the Nha Trang Department of Finance and Environment to take appropriate measures.

"Every year, certain areas along the Nha Trang coast face this issue. Authorities are working to determine the cause," Thai said, noting that oil leaks at sea could be a potential source.

An official from the Khanh Hoa Department of Natural Resources and Environment's administration of seas and islands suggested that the black lumps might be a mixture of substances, including seawater, oil, and mud, likely discharged from vessels at sea. Over time, these materials sink to the ocean floor, undergo chemical changes, and eventually wash ashore in lumpy forms. The official added that these lumps are not highly soluble and are unlikely to significantly impact marine life.

Nha Trang's coastal roads, situated in the downtown area and stretching 20 kilometers, are popular with both tourists and locals.