Tanker disaster in East China Sea could be worlds worst oil spill in 35 years [View all]

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Oil will continue to spread for months, potentially threatening Japan and South Korea.

An oil tanker carrying nearly a million barrels of ultra-light crude oil burned for days in the East China Sea before sinking on Jan. 14, killing all 32 crew members.

Now, the disaster threatens to become the worst oil spill in 35 years, according to a report Friday by Reuters — potentially devastating reefs and fishing grounds and polluting seafood from the region.

The Iranian tanker Sanchi crashed into the South Korean freight boat CF Crystal, which was carrying U.S. grain, on Jan. 6, according to The Washington Post. It burned for days afterward, releasing thick plumes of dark black smoke and frustrating international rescue efforts that included the U.S. Navy.

The ship was carrying 34 million gallons of ultra-light condensate — a form of oil that is extremely toxic, highly flammable, and difficult to detect, according to The Post.

“It’s not like crude, which does break down under natural microbial action,” Simon Boxall, of the the University of Southampton’s National Oceanography Centre, told the BBC. “[T]his stuff actually kills the microbes that break the oil down.”


Much more: https://thinkprogress.org/sanchi-oil-disaster-681fe92acfc6/



RESCUERS SPRAY FOAM TO EXTINGUISH FLAMES ON THE STRICKEN OIL TANKER SANCHI OFF THE COAST OF EAST CHINA'S SHANGHAI, JAN. 12, 2018. CREDIT: XINHUA VIA GETTY IMAGES


Rescuers recount harrowing tale on oil tanker Sanchi

A day before the Iranian oil tanker Sanchi exploded and sank, four Chinese rescuers risked their lives to board the deck amid roaring flames from over a million barrels of condensate on Jan. 13. They recovered two bodies and the ship's black box. CGTN spoke with the rescuers on their mission on Thursday, as they landed safely on the shore in Shanghai. The four rescuers spent a total of 26 minutes on board. It was the first and the last boarding by rescuers. Within 24 hours, the tanker exploded and sank, leaving behind a catastrophic oil spill, heartbreak for the families of the victims, and a story of one of the most courageous acts in the sea of flames.