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Thai workers hurry to clean up oil spill

Leakage has reached fishing village and mangrove forest

Thailand's coastal authorities are working today to clean up an oil spill from a tanker that sank south-west of Bangkok.

The oil slick had reached a fishermen’s village and mangrove forest on the coast 25 miles south-west of the Samut Sakhon regional capital, said provincial governor Arthit Boonyasophat.

Workers have already scooped up and cleared 75 per cent of an estimated 400 gallons of oil spilled in Monday’s accident and are working to finish the cleanup in the Gulf of Thailand, Mr Boonyasophat said.

The tanker capsized on Monday about 2.5 miles off the coast after water seeped into the ship’s engine room and salvage workers were still trying to save the stricken vessel, he added.

The tanker had been carrying 30,000 to 60,000 litres of oil sludge.

The five crew members on board were rescued without casualties.

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