Eco disaster averted at Yangshan

LOCAL maritime authorities said they had managed to control a leak from a cargo ship and averted a potential environmental disaster in the city.

Shanghai Maritime Rescue Center said it received a call at 1:32am early yesterday from a Marshall Islands-registered vessel, Puelo, that one of its cargos was leaking flammable liquid at Yangshan Deep Water Port.

The freighter was carrying 17.05 tons of cyclohexane, a colorless but an inflammable liquid with a strong smell.

Maritime emergency staff reached the vessel in an hour and worked on two fronts: stopping the leakage and absorbing the liquid with wooden chips and sponge.

The bureau said the non-volatile cyclohexane was insoluble in water but the liquid was leaking mainly on the vessel and not in the water.

The ship’s crew said that a valve problem had caused the leakage and cyclohexane was gushing out at a speed of 40 liters per hour.

Fire and explosion-proof measures were also put in place by the authorities during the entire emergency operation.

The 304-meter freighter weighs 73,943 tons and was carrying 22 crew members. It was carrying 1,561 cargos.

There were no casualties.