Indonesia Tries to Stop Oil Spill From Tanker in Surabaya

PlanetArk 20 Dec 07;

JAKARTA - Rescuers in Indonesia were trying to prevent an oil leak on Wednesday after a tanker overturned at a port in the country's second-largest city of Surabaya, a port official said on Wednesday.

The tanker, with a capacity of 500,000 litres, capsized on Tuesday while being loaded with fuel oil at the Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya, said harbour master Rocky Ahmad Suherman.

A small amount of oil had seeped from the ship operated by Indonesian company Pasifik Selatan but it appeared to have come from its engine, he said.

"We are discussing with related parties how to right the tanker without spilling the oil," Suherman said.

It was not clear how full the tanker, the Karisma Selatan, was when it capsized.

Surabaya is about 800 km (497 miles) east of the capital Jakarta on Java island.

No was was hurt in the accident.

(Reporting by Ahmad Pathoni, editing by Ed Davies and Sanjeev Miglani)