A Chinese oil ship sank and two sailors were missing at dawn Tuesday after a collision with a Norwegian ship at the mouth of Pearl River, according to the Maritime Safety Administration of China.
The Norwegian ship, called Bowcecil, which was carrying chemicals, collided with the Chinese oil ship, named Dehang 298, at 2:10 a.m. one km upward from the Humen Bridge on the Pearl River of south China’s Guangdong province, said sources.
Dehang 298 eventually sank, with five sailors lost in the water and 230 cubic meters of heavy oil on the ship began leaking. The Bowcecil safely dropped anchor nearby.
China’s maritime safety departments took action quickly to rescue the missing crew and clean up the oil in the water. They have informed related departments in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao at the lower reaches of the river to prepare for possible oil leak to their areas.
At press time, three of the crew had been rescued and the other two were still lost. The rescue and cleanup work is underway.
(Xinhua 11/14/2000)
