Published 24th August, 2012
Typhoon Kai-Tak battered an oil tanker off the coast of China causing a five tonne leak, affecting 200m of coastline.
The 13th tropical storm of the year, Typhoon Kai-Tak, caused an anchored oil vessel to collide with a nearby bank and release five tonnes of oil onto the local coastline in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
After the spill was reported, local authorities quickly contained the contaminated area to prevent the pool of oil from expanding. Once under control, the environmental teams began tests to monitor effects of the spill on the nearby marine environment.
Typhoon Kai-Tak affected 1.74 million people in neighbouring Guangdong province and is estimated to have caused almost 2 billion yuan ($315 million) in damages. Heavy rains have also affected many of the nearby cities causing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.