Oil tanker sinks off Thai coast

SAMUT SAKHON, THAILAND, April 8 (TNA) - An oil tanker sank near the mouth of the Maha Chai Gulf in Bangkok's adjacent Samut Sakhon Province on Monday, causing a spreading spillover in the area. The 3x16-metre tanker sank at about 3-4 kilometres from the coast of Pak Klong Pramong, causing the spreading oil spill to now cover the whole area, prompting authorities to have accelerated spraying dispersant to clean up the spillover, which has already affected local fishermen. Surachai Burapanontachai, Director of the 3rd Region Marine Office, Samut Sakhon Branch, under the Marine Department, told journalists that the incident took place when the tanker, carrying 30,000-60,000 litres of oil sludge which was transferred from a larger ship and would then be transferred onto trucks and carried to recycling facilities in Bangkok and adjacent Saraburi Province, was heading to dock in at the Maha Chai coast. According to the director, an interrogation of five crew members on board the tanker, who were safely rescued, initially found that the ship sank because water had filled up its mechanical room although the crew members were able to shut off the water valve before the ship sank. Authorities could not yet confirmed the total amount of spillover in the area, but assessing that the sunk tanker should be salvages by Tuesday night. (TNA)