"China Says Sunken Iranian Tanker May Be Leaking Bunker Fuel"

"BEIJING - Bunker fuel may now be leaking from the Iranian oil tanker that sank in the East China Sea last Sunday, China’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said, underlining fears for contamination from the world’s worst oil ship disaster in decades.

In a statement issued late on Thursday, the SOA said several previously unreported slicks were spotted by planes, vessels and satellites near the disaster site. The SOA said one, seen 2.5 kilometers (km) east of the wreck site around 0600 local time on Thursday, may indicate leakage of extremely toxic bunker fuel, the heavy oil used in ship engines.

It remain unclear how much bunker fuel was left aboard the tanker, the Sanchi (IMO:93356608), when it sank. Experts estimated it may have been carrying about 1,000 tonnes at the time it collided with the CF Crystal (IMO:9497050) grain freighter."

Muyu Xu and Josephine Mason report for Reuters January 18, 2018.