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China cleans oil spill from Iran ship

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-02 14:03

HANGZHOU: Maritime workers were cleaning an oil spill at the mouth of the Yangtze River Monday, a day after an Iranian-registered freighter was hit by strong waves and stranded on rocks off east China's coast.

The freighter "Zoorik" was stranded at around 5 am Sunday at Luhuashan at the estuary of the Yangtze River. Thirty-seven people on board, including a 2-year-old boy, were rescued that day.

The freighter was damaged in the accident and fuel began to spill shortly afterwards. By 10 am Monday, an oil slick was visible on the water.

Related readings:  Cargo ship with chemicals sinks in Yangtze River  Water supply cut off after toxic spill  Joint marine drill to curb oil spill  Waste water flows into Yangtze tributary after chemicals fire

A statement from the maritime bureau in Zhoushan City, east China's Zhejiang Province, said 30 cleaners aboard four vessels had been deployed at the site.

But the clean-up was hindered by high winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, said the statement.

The bureau would dispatch more cleaners to the operation after the wind subsided, it said.