About 10.5 million crude oil leaked to waters off the western
coast of South Korea on Friday after an oil tanker and a barge
collided early on the day, the Korean Maritime Police said at a
news release.
The accident occurred at 07:15 local time (2215 GMT Thursday) in
waters 6 miles northwest off the seashore of Taean Peninsula, South
Chungcheon Province when the 146,000-ton tanker Hebei Sprit
collided with a South Korean barge ship, the maritime police
said.
According to the coast guard, the Hebei Spirit was registered in
Hong Kong, while the barge ship belongs to a South Korean
company.
There are no reports about casualties in the accident.
However, the coast guard said the leaked oil has already spread
to an area of 2 km wide and 7.4 km long.
The South Korean government has sent 57 vessels and 4
helicopters to the spot to prevent further spreading of the
floating oil.
According to the local news website of Money Today, the Hebei
Spirit was at anchor when the South Korean barge ship collided into
the larboard of the oil tanker.
(Xinhua News Agency December 7, 2007)
