Authorities race to contain oil spill after cargo ship sinks off Thailand

ISTANBUL

Marine authorities are racing to contain an oil spill in the Andaman Sea after a Panama-flagged cargo ship sank off southern Phuket, Thailand, on its way from Malaysia to Bangladesh, Bangkok Post reported on Sunday.

All 16 crew members of the SEALLOYD ARC were rescued and brought to safety after the vessel took on water and went down south of Phuket’s popular viewpoint on Saturday.

The ship was carrying 297 containers, including 14 with hazardous materials, according to the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre. All containers sank with the 4,339-tonne vessel.

An aerial survey later detected an oil slick stretching about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) westward and one mile wide. No oil has reached Phuket’s coastline so far, officials said.

Authorities have classified the incident as large-scale, citing growing environmental risks and potential hazards to navigation.