Thai beach declared disaster area after oil spill

02/02/2022 14:19

Mae Ramphueng beach in Thailand's Rayong province was declared a disaster area late last month as oil leaking from an underwater pipeline in the Gulf of Thailand continued to wash ashore and blacken the sand.

Thai beach declared disaster area after oil spill ảnh 1

Source: http://thainews.prd.go.th

Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - Mae Ramphueng beach in Thailand's Rayong province was declared a disaster area late last month as oil leaking from an underwater pipeline in the Gulf of Thailand continued to wash ashore and blacken the sand.

The leak from the pipeline owned by Star Petroleum Refining Public Company Limited (SPRC) started late on January 25 and was brought under control a day later after spilling an estimated 50,000 litres of oil into the ocean 20 km from the country's industrialised eastern seaboard.

Some of the oil reached the shoreline at Mae Ramphueng beach late on January 28 after spreading over 47 sq km of sea in the gulf.

The Thai navy is working with the company to contain the leak and said the main oil mass was still offshore with only a small amount washing up on at least two spots along the 12-km-long beach.

The force said about 150 SPRC workers and 200 navy personnel had been deployed to clean up the beach and oil boom barriers had been set up.

Twelve navy ships and three civilian ships along with a number of aircraft were also working to contain the spill at sea with booms and dispersant spray./.

VNA