Three oil patches, with a total area of 332 square kilometers, announce the environmental disaster that many feared. In just four days, compared to the 101 square kilometers reported, the spillage at sea, due to the sinking of the Iranian tanker off the east coast of China, has tripled. This was announced by the Chinese National Oceans Administration, which is monitoring the situation.
The huge black stain moves northward and threatens potentially the South Korean and Japanese coasts.
Condensed oil, the ultra-light type of oil on board the Sanchi, is particularly poisonous for marine life. Unlike crude oil, condensate does not generate the traditional surface stain, but a toxic submarine cloud of hydrocarbons invisible from the surface of the sea. 136 thousand tons of light hydrocarbons are estimated difficult to identify once dispersed.
Currently, the tanker would be 115 meters deep and the amount of hydrocarbons still present inside the tanker is not known. What is known is that on board there were a thousand tons of diesel fuel to navigate and operate the machinery. The Sanchi sunk last January 14, after having caught fire and being burned for a week following a collision occurred with the merchant Cf Crystal.
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