[3] The ship was sailing without cargo,[6] and departed from Lianyungang, China on 4 July, stopped in Singapore, and was scheduled to reach Tubarão, Brazil on 13 August.

They isolated environmentally sensitive areas of the coast while waiting for help from foreign countries to pump out an estimated 3,890 tons of very low sulphur-fuel oil.

[15] Recovery operations continued around the stern section, which remained aground, and on 31 August a tugboat working on the wreck sank after colliding with a barge in heavy weather, killing at least three crewmembers.

[16] In October, a salvage contract for the remaining stern section of Wakashio, still grounded on the reef, was awarded to Lianyungang Dali Underwater Engineering of China, which planned to begin deconstruction in December and continue for at least several months.

[24] Greenpeace stated that "[t]housands of species [...] are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius' economy, food security and health.

"[24] Locals from around the island including fishermen and divers, and NGOs arrived as first responders to build absorbent floaters to prevent more oil spillage; they also helped with cleaning the affected shore area.

[24] Local volunteers joined forces to remedy the situation by making cloth barriers stuffed with straw and human hair.

[12] The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said the spill "risks bringing devastating consequences for the economy, food security, health and tourism industry.

[30] In August 2020, Japan P&I, the insurer of Wakashio, appointed two companies namely Polyeco SA and Le Floch Dépollution for the clean-up operations in the south east of Mauritius.

[32] On 31 August, a fatal accident occurred during a squall when the tug Sir Gaëtan Duval collided with its barge and subsequently sank; three of the eight-person crew were killed and one more was reported missing.

[36] International protests, primarily led by Mauritian diaspora, also occurred in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Germany, and the UK.

[37] The government has suspended the parliament, and has been accused of suppressing local media and preventing independent reporting regarding the incident, drawing sharp rebuke.

[38] The oil spill has, along with the 2020 Beirut explosion, brought into sharp contrast failures of the shipping industry, with critics highlighting lax attitude to operational safety.

[40] Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, captain, was found guilty under the 2007 Merchant Shipping Act by the Court of Investigation, Mauritius, and admitted to being moderately under the influence of alcohol.

Magistrate Ida Dookhy-Rambarun called their actions irresponsible when she imposed the 20-month sentences, adding that they failed to monitor their ship and became too distracted whilst looking for a Wi-Fi signal from shore to allow the crew to connect with families after being separated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

First officer, Robert Geonzon Secuya, and chief engineer, Pritam Singh, were released on 23 December 2021, after being detailed as potential witnesses in the trial.

Ecotoxicologist Christopher Goodchild from Oklahoma State University said, "With this oil spill it looks like there is infiltration out of the mangroves, so you have the oily substance that can bind to organic matter or dirt and start to settle in and just being able to remove that toxic sediment can be a real challenge.

[45] Reuters quoted unnamed scientists as saying that the spill was likely the worst environmental incident in the history of Mauritius, with effects possibly lingering for decades.

[48] On 2 September 2020, Mauritius also asked Japan to pay US$34 million in reparations for the disaster; the island nation demanded the money to "support local fishermen whose livelihoods were adversely impacted by an oil leak last month", according to a Mauritian government document.