S. China Shipwreck Update: Death Toll Rises, Oil Leak Confirmed

The State Oceanic Administration (SOA) has confirmed through their monitoring results that a shipwreck occurring earlier in the week has resulted in an oil spill near the coast of the southern Guangdong Province in China.

The Kenos Athena, a Korean vessel, was loaded with 7,000 tons of sulfuric acid and 140 tons of residual fuel oil when it wrecked in waters near Zhelang Island. The SOA’s South China Sea Branch and the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Ocean and Fisheries provided immediate monitoring of any potential water pollution following the incident, according to the China Daily.

The SOA then released a statement on Thursday confirming that a patch of rufous oil slick has covered a five to six square kilometer area. It was spotted on the water’s surface just southwest of the wreck site. The slick also contains a large amount of a petroleum-related substance, signifying vessel leakage.

A further investigation is still being conducted, and further monitoring is ongoing to decide whether the sulfuric acid onboard has also leaked.

Shipwreck Update

Initial Report: 2 Dead, 6 Missing in South China Shipwreck

The death toll has now risen to 14, after another body was found on Thursday. Four people have been taken into custody in connection with the ship collision that left so many dead, and six people still missing. The accident occurred in the city of Guiping in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Captain Chen Hanchao and pilot Li Guixiong were detained by police on Tuesday, as were LiDasen and Huang Yingxin, the owners of a cargo ship involved in the accident.