Quito, Apr 24 (IANS): A diesel-filled vessel sank off the Galapagos Islands, leading to emergency clean-up efforts to contain the spill in the marine nature reserve, Ecuador's Environment, Water and Ecological Transition Ministry said.

After the vessel carrying some 2,000 gallons of diesel sank off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, one of the top attractions in Galapagos, the Ministry "took immediate action to reduce the impact of the disaster on the coastal-marine ecosystem", it said in a statement.

"Containment barriers and absorbent sheets were placed to isolate the fuel released by the sunken vessel," the ministry said.

Activities along the coast and on the water were temporarily suspended at several nearby visitor sites, Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, park rangers are leading operations to apply biodegradable dispersants in the affected areas.

The Galapagos Islands, located 970 km from the continental coast of Ecuador, were declared a Natural World Heritage Site in 1978 by the Unesco.