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The pictures showing a coastline drowning in oil as 100 ships tackle the worst spill in South Korea's history
Last updated at 01:37am on 11.12.07South Korea has deployed more than 100 ships and thousands of troops to clean up the worst oil spill in its history, after a damaged supertanker leaked 2.7 million gallons of crude oil off the coast.
The slick has washed up along 11 miles of the west coastline and has blackened beaches, coated birds in tar and cast a foul smell over a nature reserve.
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Residents and volunteers struggle to remove crude oil from a beach in South Korea
"We have approximately 5,600 people who have been working from 5am on Sunday... doing all we can to prevent the situation from growing worse," said Ryu Hung of the Taean coast guard.
"Considering the tide, direction and velocity of the wind, the oil slick is not expected to expand further for now."
The clean up is likely to take more than a month, maritime minister Kang Moo-hyun said.
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The oil was 10cms deep in places and coated seabirds
Volunteers worked against the clock to treat stricken birds
Volunteers and government personnel have been scooping oil with buckets and absorbent cloth, treating birds covered in oil and scrubbing blackened rocks.
Large numbers of fish and waterfowl have been killed.
Ships deploying containment fences and oil skimmers have been trying to lessen the spill's impact. The largest slick was spreading in Mallipo Bay, a maritime ministry official said.
"The oil is about 10 cms deep at Mallipo beach and we can't even see the sand underneath. There isn't even a single seagull nearby. They must have fled after the spill," said Lee Hee-yeol, a top village official in the region.
The leak is about a third the size of Alaska's 1989 Exxon Valdez crude oil spill, the costliest on record.
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The oil slick affected 11 miles of beach
The clean-up alone from that disaster cost around £1.25billion. The total costs, including fines and settlement of claims, were an estimated £4.7 billion.
The Hong Kong-registered tanker that caused the spill began leaking an estimated 10,500 tonnes of crude oil on Friday, after a barge carrying a crane punched holes in its hull while it was anchored. It was patched up early on Sunday.
Police are questioning officials of Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd which had the crane on the barge, the barge's crew as well as the tanker's owner, captain and crew.
