The heavy fuel oil leak from a Panama-registered Chinese vessel, which ran aground off Norway's southern coast early Friday, is now under control, Swedish media reported on Sunday.
"The Swedish coastguards and a nature-rescue boat have already reached the Telemark coast, just west of the town of Larvik, 132 km south of the Norwegian capital city Oslo," Lars Belfrage, one of the Swedish coastguards, was quoted as saying by the Swedish daily Dagensnyheter.
The Norwegian coastguards have set up barriers to prevent fuel oil from spreading to other sea areas. These fuel oil is under control now, said Belfrage, adding that it might affect the Swedish coast if there's strong wind or storm in the next days.
The Norwegian nature-rescue boat has pumped out 40 tons of fuel oil from the vessel. Clean-up crews continued containing and cleaning up the oil, said Belfrage.
About 200 tons of heavy oil has already leaked from the vessel, which carried about 1,200 tons of heavy fuel oil when it struck the rocks. Norway's Environmental Minister Erik Solheim and Coastal Minister Helga Pedersen traveled to the scene on Saturday to follow the clean-up operations.
The 167-meter-long "Full City" vessel with 23 Chinese sailors drifted aground when its engines failed and anchor chains snapped in stormy weather conditions. All of the sailors have got temporary visas with the help of China's Embassy in Norway.
Some 16 Chinese sailors had been evacuated by helicopter from the ship while seven others, including the captain, remained aboard.
(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2009)
