Tanker collision in South Korea spills 164 tons of oil

A Singapore-flagged tanker, which collided with a landing bridge in late January while mooring at South Korea's southern port city, spilled oil of around 164 tons, much more than initially estimated, a senior Coast Guard official said Monday. The 164,169-ton Singapore-registered oil tanker, which had departed from Britain in early December, collided with a bridge connecting a pier in Yeosu, some 450 km southwest of Seoul, at around 9:35 a.m. on Jan. 31. The collision ruptured three oil pipelines, causing the oil spill of around 164,000 liters, or 164 tons, Kim Sang- bae, head of Yeosu Coast Guard of Korea, said at a televised press conference. The spill was about 25 times larger than 800 liters initially estimated. The tanker neared the pier at a pace of around 7 knots, higher than the recommended safety pace, Kim said. The maritime police, since the incident, sent around 200 ships, including 60 coast guard vessels, every day to contain the spread of oil spill. Most heavy oil layers were removed in the waters, the head said.