Advertisement

Oil spill spreads across San Francisco Bay

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Oil from a damaged cargo ship spread across San Francisco Bay Thursday as more than 200 people worked to clean up the gooey mess.

About 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel poured into the bay Wednesday after the Cosco Busan struck a support tower of the Bay Bridge.

Advertisement

The U.S. Coast Guard told a news conference Thursday morning that oil had been spotted as far south as Hunters Point and along the San Francisco city waterfront.

Eight skimmer boats were collecting the heavy oil, which is used as ship fuel both inside the bay and outside the Golden Gate. About 8,000 gallons had been recovered as of midday Thursday.

The Cosco Busan, which arrived from South Korea in a heavy fog Wednesday, remained moored at a nearby anchorage. A safety zone was set up around the vessel and the bridge tower.

The bridge did not suffer any apparent structural damage and remained open to auto traffic.

Latest Headlines