The Japan Coast Guard said a Panamanian-registered ship ran around in a northern Japan port. The ship splits in two and was leaking oil. But there were no injuries among the 21 crew members. Also, the oil leak was under control with no signs of it reaching the shore.
The “Crimson Polaris,” a 39,910-tonne freighter carrying wood chips, came aground in Hachinohe harbour on Wednesday morning. It was able to break loose. But due to bad weather, it was unable to travel far. Therefore, it ended up anchoring approximately 4 kilometres (2.4 miles) from the harbour.
The ship was nearing the end of a journey from Thailand. Ship splits in two early Thursday, according to the Coast Guard. Later in the day, an oil slick 5.1 km long and about 1 km wide was visible. Although patrol boats were taking containment efforts. The oil spill was being contained by the officials. The amount of oil that escaped is being thoroughly investigated, according to a statement from NYK Line.
The two halves of the vessel have not moved and they are being constantly observed by patrol boats, with no dramatic changes in its position as of late afternoon, according to a Coast Guard spokesman.