Tanker accident in the East China Sea

There are fears of an environmental disaster in the East China Sea as a burning tanker continues to leak oil after it hit a cargo ship.

Panama-registered tanker 'Sanchi' on fire after a collision with a freighter off China's eastern coast, 07 January 2018. Source: SOUTH KOREA COAST GUARD

 

While authorities continue the search for the missing crew, the focus is shifting to the potentially devastating environmental impact of the spilled oil.  On board the tanker was nearly one million barrels of condensate, a type of gassy, ultra-light oil.   Being described by some as a floating bomb, if it explodes it has the potential to create the worst spill of its kind since 1991.