On January 6, an Iranian oil tanker has sank in the East China Sea after crashed into a freighter and then subsequently suffering an explosion on Sunday. The freighter, called the Sanchi, was reportedly carrying 136,000 tons of flammable fuel oil. Sunday’s explosion is adding to an already bad situation, and as the New York Times reports, turning it into an enormous disaster.
The Japanese Coast Guard said the fire on the surface of the sea was extinguished early Monday.
The Sanchi disaster appears to be the largest tanker spill since 1991, when an unexplained detonation caused the ABT tanker to leak 260,000 tons of oil off the coast of Angola.
Reuters spoke with marine scientist Rick Steiner who explained that the East China Sea is already a polluted body of water that is home to a diverse ecosystem; and this event is looking like it may match the infamous Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989.
Experts worry the ship’s sinking is potentially more damaging to the marine ecosystem than letting the condensate oil burn off. The sinking will likely expel the remaining condensate and the tanker’s bunker fuel, or the heavy fuel oil that powers a ship’s engines, contaminating the surrounding waters.
Bunker fuel is the dirtiest kind of oil, extremely toxic when spilled, though less explosive. Condensate is poisonous to marine organisms.
“As with all major oil spills, time is of the essence. This is particularly so with condensate spills, as the substance is so toxic and volatile,” said Steiner, the U.S. marine scientist.
Officials have been very quiet on what may or may not have caused the Sanchi to crash in the first place.