Three Taiwanese boats ran aground in Mauritian waters on Wednesday on the reefs of Pointe-aux-Sables and Bain-des-dames, with some 40 crew members now rescued.

The Taiwanese Wen Hang Dar 168 ran into trouble in the early hours of the morning at Pointe-aux-Sables, around 10km (six miles) off Port Louis Harbour with 81 tonnes of fuel in its tanks.

The vessel, which is 37m (212 ft) long, had 25 crew members on board. A request for assistance was made at 06:55 local time (02:55 GMT) this morning.

Some crew members from two of the boats jumped into the water at Bain-des-Dames, also in Port Louis.

They were rescued by National Coast Guard officers and were brought to safety in Port Louis Harbour.

Other crew members who remained on board were evacuated by members of the helicopter squadron and transported to the police headquarters.

Some sustained minor injuries.

Currently, oil booms are being deployed as there is the risk of an oil leak.

But no leak has been detected so far, according to Mauritius’ Fisheries and Ocean Economy minister Sudheer Maudhoo.

Recently some boats have found themselves trapped on the reefs in Mauritius, the most famous being the MV Wakashio, which created an ecological disaster on the Indian Ocean island.