BEIJING: An Iranian oil tanker that sank in the East China Sea has left two oil slicks covering a combined 109 square kilometers, the Chinese government said late on Tuesday, as maritime police scour for damage and prepare to explore the wreck.
Satellite imaging showed a slick of 69 square km and a second 40 square km slick, which is less thick and not as concentrated, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said in a statement.
The large tanker Sanchi sank in the worst oil ship disaster in decades on Sunday, raising worries about damage to the marine ecosystem. The bodies of two sailors were recovered from the ship while a third body was pulled from the sea near the vessel. The remaining 29 crew of the ship are presumed dead.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Transport said the salvage team had located the wreck, which was at a depth of 115 meters under sea level, and were preparing to send underwater robots to explore it.
The SOA said vessels have taken 31 water samples in the area around the wreck containing black grease with heavy oil smells, and a concentration of petroleum that exceeds some seawater quality standard limits.
Clean-up teams continue to monitor the wreck area to assess the distribution and drift of the oil spill and the ecological impact.
The Sanchi had been adrift and ablaze after crashing into the freighter CF Crystal on January 6. Strong winds pushed it away from the Chinese coast, where the incident happened, and into Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The ship, which was carrying 136,000 tons or almost 1 million barrels of condensate — an ultra-light, highly flammable crude oil — sank after several explosions weakened the hull.
On Tuesday, Japan’s environment ministry said it does not see much chance that the spill will reach its shores.
Iranian oil tanker wreck produces 2 slicks in East China Sea
Iranian oil tanker wreck produces 2 slicks in East China Sea
LA 2028 Olympics chief to sell agency over Epstein uproar: reports
WASHINGTON: The embattled chairman of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics is selling his talent agency after his name appeared in the recent wave of revelations concerning late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to US media reports.
LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman has faced mounting calls to step down after racy emails he sent Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003 emerged in US Justice Department files dropped last month.
In a memo late Friday to the employees of talent agency Wasserman Group, which bears his surname, the entertainment executive reportedly said he would sell the firm but stay on as Olympics chief.
“I’m deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort,” Wasserman wrote in the memo published by multiple US media outlets, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
“It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about.”
Wasserman, 51, said in the memo that his appearance in the Epstein files had “become a distraction,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
He has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in the scandal.
He said in an apology last month that his exchange with Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for trafficking underage girls for Epstein, took place before her crimes came to light.
In one email exchange between Wasserman and Maxwell in April 2003, he told her “I miss you” before appearing to ask for a massage.
The LA28 executive committee this week said he should continue in his role following a probe into his appearance in the files.
His talent agency represents a galaxy of stars from across music, sport and entertainment.
But several artists represented by Wasserman’s company, including Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, have announced their departure from the agency since his involvement in the scandal emerged.
Multiple Los Angeles city officials have also called on Wasserman to step aside as head of the 2028 Olympics.
