Asia/Pacific News
Bunker Spill Off Busan After Collision During Bunkering
Authorities in South Korea are reported to be dealing with a bunker spill off Busan after a capsize bulker and a bunker tanker collided on Saturday during bunkering, Seatrade Global reports.
Bad weather was understood to have been a factor as the Liberian-flagged Captain Vangelis L. was holed by an as yet unnamed bunker tanker resulting in 237 kilolitres of bunkers being spilled.
"High waves are suspected to be the main cause of the accident. The sea was swelling with a wind speed of around 8 to 10 meters per second," Busan Coast Guard chief Bae Jin-hwan said.
Environmental news website Eco-Business.com reported that an oil slick "hundreds of metres wide" was found 4 kilometres south of the incident location.
Maritime police said dozens of vessels and four helicopters had been dispatched to deal with the spill, and a 500-metre oil containment boom was also reported to have been deployed.
A 20 by 30 cm hole in the damaged hull of Captain Vangelis L. was sealed after about three hours.
Cleanup was expected to take over three days.
