China Cleans Up Massive Oil Spill

Authorities in China are cleaning up one of the worst ever oil spills in Chinese waters.

Approximately 138,000 gallons of crude oil has leaked in the South China Sea about nine miles from the mouth of the Pearl River.

The oil spill occurred when a German-registered container ship, MSC Ilona, collided with the Panamanian-registered Hyundai Advance overnight on Tuesday.

The hull of the German vessel was punctured, spewing out its oil cargo.

The Panamanian ship had initially tried to escape from the scene of the accident but was traced by Chinese maritime authorities hours later.

An official told Reuters news agency it was the worst leak in years.

The 75,500-ton MSC Ilona was on its way to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen from Shanghai when the accident occurred.

The spill has spread to an area of up 10 miles long and 660 feet wide, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Strong winds and high seas have hindered clean-up efforts, which are expected to continue for several days.

Source: BBC News