Ship Collisions and Oil Spills Occur Consecutively Off the Coast of Pohang

Oil fence installed at the oil spill site in Pohang New Port on the 16th / Photo by Pohang Maritime Police Station

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[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Over the weekend, a series of maritime accidents, including a ship collision and oil spill, occurred off the coast of Pohang, Gyeongbuk.

According to the Pohang Maritime Police Station on the 17th, at around 5:18 a.m., a 9-ton fishing vessel (with 5 crew members) and a 6,300-ton barge (with 28 crew members) collided approximately 11 km east of Homigot-myeon, Nam-gu, Pohang.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, but part of the fishing vessel was dented and part of the barge was scratched.

Earlier, at 7:03 p.m. on the 16th, inside the New Port of Nam-gu, Pohang, about 230 liters of low-sulfur heavy oil spilled while a 300-ton refueling ship was supplying fuel to a 2,900-ton Panama-flagged cargo ship.

The spill occurred when, after refueling was completed and the remaining oil in the hose was being removed, oil backflowed from the cargo ship’s air release device.

The Pohang Maritime Police deployed patrol vessels and containment personnel, installed a double-layered 240-meter oil fence on the accident ship, and conducted containment operations using oil absorbents, completing the work at around 11:15 p.m. that day.

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