Typhoon-triggered oil spill cleaned up in S China

NANNING - An oil spill triggered by typhoon Kai-Tak in the South China city of Beihai has been cleaned up, according to a local official.

People clean oil spilled after an oil ship anchored near Beihai, a coastal city in Guangxi, drifted and collided into the bank, Aug 18, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Typhoon Kai-Tak, the 13th tropical storm of the year, has left one dead and two missing in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region so far, and about 110,000 residents there remain threatened.

Affected by Kai-Tak, an oil ship anchored near Beihai, a coastal city in Guangxi, drifted and collided into the bank, resulting in five tons of oil being spilled at about 1 am.

The local government initiated an emergency response plan and sent a work team to clean up the spill and cordon off the contaminated area to prevent the pool from expanding.

Clean up efforts have ended and marine authorities have taken samples of the sea water to test the pollution level around the location of the accident.

No obvious effects of the spill could be seen on major sea surfaces and beaches around Beihai, as the spill occurred in a semi-enclosed small gulf, according to He Xiaolong, deputy secretary general of the Beihai government.

Typhoon Kai-Tak affected 1.74 million people in nearby Guangdong province before making landfall in Guangxi at 9 pm Friday, resulting in an economic loss of nearly 2 billion yuan ($315 million).

The typhoon also affected more than 60,000 residents in the city of Fangchenggang, and over 9,800 people have been moved to safety.

More than 700 villagers in Qinzhou, another city in Guangxi, have been trapped in their homes by typhoon-triggered flooding, the local government said Saturday.

Heavy rains have swept the city since Thursday, inundating three villages in Dazhi township, Qinbei district.

The local government has sent rescue boats and relief materials to the trapped villagers.

According to statistics from the flood control and drought relief bureau of Fangchenggang, as of 7 am Saturday, average precipitation had reached 206 millimeters, while the highest recorded precipitation hit 477 millimeters.

Meanwhile, two people remained missing after falling into a river in Shangsi county on Friday evening, according to the bureau.

More than 300 police officers and firefighters have been organized and dispatched to carry out relief efforts across Fangchenggang, the bureau said.

Sources from Nanning Railway Bureau said about eight railway lines have been affected by torrential rain and gales brought by Kai-Tak since Thursday, and the railways linking Hechun and Maoming, and Zhanjiang were closed on Friday.