Collision causes massive oil spill off S. Korea coast
SEOUL, South Korea -- A crane-carrying vessel collided with an oil tanker off of South Korea's west coast on Friday, spilling more than 66,000 barrels of crude oil in what was believed to be South Korea's largest offshore oil leak, officials said.
Officials at the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry, citing Coast Guard reports, initially said about 110,000 barrels had leaked from the Hong Kong-registered tanker. But the Coast Guard later said additional information indicated the amount was significantly lower -- about 66,043 barrels.
The accident occurred around 7:10 a.m. when the crane-carrying vessel slammed into the 146,000-ton tanker Hebei Spirit in waters off Mallipo beach, some 93 miles southwest of Seoul.
Strong winds and prevailing currents meant oil was expected to start washing up on shore and flow into fishing grounds and fishing farms, about 6 miles from the leak, by Saturday morning, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
Maritime authorities set up a special fence 5 miles in length to try and contain the oil, the statement said. The slick was 4.6 miles long and over 1 mile wide, the ministry said.
The spill occurred in a region known for its scenic beaches, including Mallipo. It is also home to a national maritime park and an important refueling stop for migratory birds.
Chang Geun-ho, a Maritime and Fisheries Ministry official, said the extent of environmental damage would depend on the success of the containment operation, though he added that cold winter weather can help slow the spread of the oil slick.
The Coast Guard said 46 ships and four helicopters were involved in the clean-up operation.
It also said that the collision left holes in three containers aboard the tanker. By noon, all three containers had stopped leaking, Cho Sung-won, a regional Coast Guard spokesman, said.
YTN, a 24-hour cable news channel, showed footage of the black oil gushing out of the ship and into the ocean.
The tanker was carrying about 260,000 tons of crude oil -- or about 1.8 million barrels, the Coast Guard said.
Officials at the ministry and the Coast Guard said the accident was believed to be South Korea's largest offshore oil leak.
The previously largest oil spill in South Korea happened in 1995 when about 5,035 tons -- some 35,000 barrels -- of crude and fuel oil was leaked, the Coast Guard said.
In 1989, the Exxon Valdez supertanker released about 260,000 barrels, or 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound in what turned into a major environmental disaster.
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Associated Press writers Kelly Olsen, Hyung-jin Kim and Jae-yeon Lim contributed to this report.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.