Disaster Zone Expands In Wake of Korean Oil Spill

Government officials in South Korea have pronounced the nation’s western coastline a severe disaster zone. Nearly 25 miles of the coastline are coated in oil after a barge rammed a supertanker on Friday, reported the Deutsch Presse-Agentur. The Hong Kong-registered supertanker discharged an estimated 10,500 tons of oil.

Nearly 13,000 local volunteers, soldiers and conservationists are working to clean up the spill. According to a report from the South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, however, the cleanup endeavor has been hindered by, “strong winds, high tides and ill-coordinated leadership by the government.”

Regardless, crews are racing against the clock to prevent further contamination. Storms expected today are predicted to expand the oil, moving into migratory bird habitat, in which irreversible environmental consequences will no doubt occur.

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