Oil from the damaged pipeline contaminated the beach

Approximately 200 sailors and 150 employees of Star Petroleum Refining Public Company Limited (SPRC) cleans on Saturday Mae Ram Phueng beach in Thailand, Rayong Province, 180 km east of Bangkok with oil from a damaged offshore oil pipeline in the Gulf of Thailand.

Oil stain from an offshore oil pipeline reached the eastern coast of the country on Friday night, covering an area of several square kilometres. It is constantly expanding – the Thai Navy informs.

The 12 km long Mae Ram Phueng, on which the contamination occurred, is the longest beach in this part of Thailand. There are concerns that oil may also hit the nearby island of Ko Samet, a popular weekend destination for Bangkok residents. The service dug ditches on the beach to stop the spread of water-throwing raw material.

On Tuesday, SPRC, to which the underwater pipe belongs, reported that the divers detected a flexible hose failure, which is part of an oil discharge installation from the oil tankers. Although the accident was removed that same night, about 50,000 liters of oil went into the water, which polluted the sea over 47 square kilometers. Most of the raw material remains in the bay.

Authorities have declared disaster in the contaminated area. In the fight against leakage 12 naval vessels and three civilian ships and helicopters and aircraft were engaged. "Together with SPRC, we work at sea to reduce the amount of oil, guarding the spill, sucking oil and spraying a distraction," said Rear Admiral Artorn Charapinyo.

Leakage poses a threat to both the environment and the local tourism industry. After a similar failure in 2013, the beaches on Ko Samet were covered with a thick layer of harmful substance. It took over a month to remove the spill.

Written by Tomasz Augustyniak/PAP