China is currently conducting an investigation regarding the Iranian oil tanker, Sanchi, with the Chinese authorities considering to salvage the wreck of the ship, in order to contain the pollution from the spill.
However, this is not an easy mission, as, according to the maritime authority, the retrieval of the ship from the bottom of the East China Sea, can cause another explosion.
Furthermore, in order to prevent the further expansion of the spill, China will send deep-sea divers to plug the oil leaks from the Iranian tanker, local media reported.
The oil spill from the Iranian tanker ‘Sanchi’, that sank off China, has created four separate slicks covering a total area of 100 square km (or 39 square miles), which is almost equivalent to the size of Paris, according to Chinese authorities.
After suffering two explosions, a large amount of oil in surrounding waters was on fire, according to China’s State Oceanic Administration as quoted by Xinhua news agency.
Experts say both the crude oil that was carried by the Sanchi and the fuel that was used to power the tanker can be really toxic to marine environment. The type of oil carried by the ship does not form a traditional surface slick when spilt, but is much harder to separate from water, while fuel oil is relatively easy to contain, because volumes are lower and its viscosity means it’s easier to extract from water. However, both are devastating to marine life.
