Huge clumps of greasy sludge are washing up on Japanese beaches three weeks after an Iranian crude tanker exploded and sank in the East China Sea. Tokyo is yet to confirm the source of the pollution.
A government spokesperson revealed that “oil-like” blobs have appeared on several of Japan’s southern islands sparking fears that it could cause an environmental catastrophe.
The coast guard have been dispatched to clean up the oily mess and the substance is being analyzed to confirm whether it’s from the Sanchi tanker which sank after colliding with a bulk freighter in early January. Of the 32 member crew, only three bodies have been recovered so far.
„The government, while working closely with local authorities, is looking into how broad the range (of oil clumps washed ashore) is and what has caused it,” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told Reuters.
“We are taking measures to contain (the contamination) and dispatching patrol vessels and planes while working closely together with China and other nations.
