A ship in a northern Japanese harbor hit the ground in shallow water, split in two, and leaked oil Thursday.
The “Crimson Polaris” was transporting wood chips from Thailand when it hit the ground in Hachinohe harbor. It was able to free itself, but weather conditions kept it from moving far, so it anchored about two and half miles from the port, Reuters reported. Upon hitting the ground, the ship suffered a crack that widened and slowly caused the vessel to break in two, the Irish Examiner reported. (RELATED: Egypt Releases Cargo Ship That Blocked The Suez Canal After Reaching Multimillion-Dollar Deal With Owner)
The broken ship left an oil slick five kilometers long and one kilometer wide, according to Reuters.
A cargo ship split in two this morning after running aground off the tip of northeast Japan, creating a large oil slick three miles long https://t.co/HDOZWcgTLG
— The Times (@thetimes) August 12, 2021
There were no injuries among the crew members and the Japanese Coast Guard controlled the leak before it reached the shore, Reuters reported.
The ship’s parts have not been moved and by Thursday afternoon there had been no major changes in the situation, Reuters reported.
In August 2020, a Japanese cargo ship ran aground and split in two. At least 1,000 tons of oil spilled into the Indian Ocean. Ecologists refer to it at the worst ecological disaster in the country’s history, NPR reported.