At least 36 people were washed out to sea following a sudden and high tidal wave. Korea's Coast Guard is reporting 9 dead so far and 14 others injured. 1,200 police, firefighters and volunteers are searching for others reported missing from the surge. However there is, at this time, no accurate count of how many people may actually be missing.
On May 4th a giant wave, maybe as high as 16 feet, caught tourists and recreational fishermen off guard sweeping them out to sea.
The wave reportedly hit Juk Island without any warning. Korea Meteorological Administration is investigating the cause of the massive wave which caught them by surprise. There was no weather alert issued. Witnesses say there were only mild winds blowing just before the wave over took as many as 49 people who were on the shoreline at the time.
The Korea Meteorological Administration suspects the wave may have been somehow amplified by artificial breakwaters or an erratic configuration of the sea floor. There were no strong winds or sea earthquakes detected.
The use of artificial breakwaters date back as far as the ancient Romans. The breakwaters are designed to impede the violence of the sea and prevent just the sort of tragedy that happened on Sunday.
Since artificial breakwaters alter currents they can create dangerous rip currents and the unintended erosion of beaches. The beach can build up on one side of the breakwater and be eroded away on the other side. Some beaches have to be replenished by dredging sand from offshore, thereby changing the landscape of the seabed.
Photo Thanks Joongang daily / JONHAP
Labels: Breakwater, Juk Island, South Korea, Tidal Wave
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
www.pacificspirit.org
More Sea Trouble For Sea Troubled South Chungcheong Province.
The winds weren't strong and the waves weren't high. So what caused yet another oil tanker accident in South Korean waters?
Yeosu, meaning 'beautiful waters' is the location of the latest oil tanker accident to hit South Korean waters. The collision was between Heungyang a 4,050 ton tanker and the 90 ton 801 Changnyeong, this according to chosun.com.
The spill was 'light' when comparing it to the spill late last year that took place off the coast of Mallipo. That spill contaminated the Yellow Sea with more than 12 thousand kiloliters of oil. The devestating effects of that spill still have yet to be calculated in totality. This latest accident is said to have spilled only 50 kiloliters of diesel oil. The Coast guard said the damage from the latest collision will cause only minor damage, as diesel oil evaporates easily.
The accident is being reported by ABC news that the tanker collided with a small boat.
Meanwhile residents in the Taean area may see some financial relief coming their way but, not until the middle of June. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs announced a special law to support residents affected by the December 7, 2007 tragedy. The rules on compensation should be finalized by late May.
The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds have agreed to hand out up to $300.8 million dollars to those suffering in the aftermath of the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill. The government estimates about 45,000 households have been crushed under the weight of the oil spill.
Labels: Hebei Spirit, Mallipo, oil spill, oil tanker, South Korea, Taean
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
www.pacificspirit.org
Another Tanker Accident. South Korea.
Nearly two months after South Korea experienced the worst oil spill in it's history the beaches around the Taean Coast still show the aftermath. Not so easily seen is the aftermath left in the souls of families that made their living there.
More than a million volunteers have braved wretched weather to help in the cleanup. Senior citizens sang as they try to clear the mudflats of nearly frozen oil sludge that has laid waste to the area. One 78 year old woman working in the freezing conditions used to make enough money to support herself and her ailing husband shucking oysters in the same mudflats she is helping to heal. She tells Kim Seong-ryong in the JoongAng Daily she feels devastated and she hopes she can shuck oysters again. Until then she sings as she cleans the mudflats.
It may be years before anyone will shuck oysters in Taean. Just two months ago Taean was a thriving and beautiful tourist destination. 20,000 households operated resorts, restaurants catering to the tourists. 10,000 households made a living from fishing in the area. Now there is nothing left but the spirit of the people. For some the blow of the oil spill was too much for the spirit. Channel NewsAsia is reporting there have been 3 suicides as a result of this horrible disaster.
The government acted swiftly to declare 6 of the affected cities and counties 'special disaster' status paving the way for aid to be distributed faster. Victims are still waiting. One man, a fish seller, set himself on at a during a protest earlier this month and later died. Unless aid comes quickly he may not be the last suicide.
Thousands of people were demanding answers to how they would be justly compensated. About 64 million dollars have been sent to the disaster areas. Half of that money has been raised by the private sector, but it so far has not been distributed to those in need. Reportedly officials cannot agree on how the money should be spent.In the mean time lives already in trouble are being ruined.
A Korean court ordered the Hebei Spirit to be seized on December 24 in an effort to make her owners pay for the cleanup costs from the disaster. Samsung No.1 struck the Hebei Spirit while it was moored.
The estimated cleanup will run over 10 billion dollars. Under Korea's maritime laws the oil tanker has the responsibility to help pay for the cleanup.
Meanwhile, Samsung Heavy Industries is saying they are sorry. "We are sorry for causing a big shock and concern to the public," Samsung Heavy Industries was charged earlier this week along with 5 individuals 2 are being held in custody and 3 more have been told not to leave the country.
Photo thanks: Lee Jin-man
Labels: Hebei Spirit, oil spill, oil tanker, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung No.1, South Korea, Taean
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
www.pacificspirit.org
Suicides and Despair Resulting From Hebei Spirit Oil Spill. Samsung Heavy Industries apologizes.
South Korea's Government faces accusations that it acted too slowly in its response to the horrible oil spill that happened on Friday. Perhaps the slowness isn't in the time it took the government to respond to the accident on Friday, but the time it has taken to respond to the increased maritime traffic in the area.
South Korea's ports are heavily traveled with cargo vessels ladened with exports, and other ships bringing in fuel and imported goods. Traffic control in the heavily traveled Yellow Sea will no doubt undergo some heavy scrutiny.
Investigators looking into what may have gone wrong before Friday's accident that left three holes in the Hebei Spirit. The single hulled tanker lost approximately 66,000 barrels of crude oil. It's amazing that three of her 6 cargo holds were punctured.
The crane barge, the Samsung No.1 and it's tug were reportedly not where they belonged for more than an hour before the collision took place. It is also rumored today that cables and connections had not been inspected before the tug began towing the more than 11,000 ton crane back to Samsung Heavy Industries from Incheon.
The government has promised 5.9 billion won (6.4 million dollars) will be available immediately to help local fisherman and business owners cope with the economic hardships that have already begun due to the oil spill.
Beaches are being fouled and aqua-farms are wiped out. Fishermen at Uihangri village, are saying "It is a complete disaster," Tourism, which brings in more than 20 million tourists a year to the area, will be finished for quite some time putting financial hardship on hotels and restaurants. Many business owners are afraid they won't survive even with sate funds to help out.
The oil has hit destroyed more than 180 aqua-farms in the area and 14 beaches. The farms grow abalone, oysters, littleneck clams and sea cucumbers.
Photo Thanks Nytimesonline slideshow
Labels: aquaculture, Hebei Spirit, oil spill, oil tanker, South Korea
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
www.pacificspirit.org
The Korean government declared a state of disaster on Saturday, Dec.8, due to the oil spill off Mallipo Beach. Taean County and 5 surrounding counites were named. South Cheongcheong Province plans to ask that Taean County be further named a "special disaster area" apparently enabling them to receive future tax breaks and more government assistance to restore the local economy. Commerce will likely be affected adversly for years to come.
Many reports say the oil has stopped spilling from the Hong Kong-registered Hebei Spirit but, Korea Net is reporting officials as saying that as of 5 p.m. December 8, 17 kilometers of coast line of South Chungcheong province has been covered by the oil slick. The oil pushed by tides and wind and the oil still leaking from the tanker.
President Roh Moo-hyun has instructed government officials to take measures to minimize the damage from the oil
spill Korean maritime police have sent 103 ships and 5 helicopters to the scene of the oil slick. They have built
4.2 km of oil trapping fence. Efforts to trap the oil before it reaches the shore line haven't stopped the oil
from coating the once beautiful white-sand beaches of Mallipo Bay, which is no wonder considering the estimate of
2.7 million gallons of crude oil floating on the water.
There are approximately 181 aqua-culture farms in the affected area which cover about 5,650 hectares. British
Lloyd P&I, the company insuring the Samsung NO.1. may be shelling out 300 billion won ($330 million) along with the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund. Government officials are hoping affected fish and seafood farmers will be compensated quickly but have not porvided any details yet.
Nearly 8,000 workers are working at a fever pitch to clear the beaches of the gloopy oil as it comes ashore. Samsung Heavy industires has sent hundreds of its employees to the affected area to help in the clean up efforts.
Apparently Samsung Group is under investigation regarding a 'slush fund scandal'. Bad luck usually comes in threes so Samsung's bad luck may be nearing an end.
Investigators looking into what may have happened causing the largest oil spill in South Korea's history suspect the towing vessel failed to get warnings from the control tower giving them instructions on how to avoid the supertanker Hebei Spirit. There may have been a communications breakdown. Whether or not this was an equipment or a human breakdown has not been made clear. Still others investigating the accident believe the tow lines from the barge to the tow may have been broken during strong winds and high waves.
Photo Thanks cnn.com
Labels: Hebei Spirit, Mallipo, oil spill, South Korea, Yellow Sea
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
www.pacificspirit.org