Government boats cleaning the slick on Tuesday. (Photo: Alex)
On Tuesday, an oil slick measuring 500 by 500 metres was spotted off of Tung Wan Beach on Cheung Chau Island.
Alex (last name withheld), who lives near the beach, told us that he started smelling oil shortly after midnight on Tuesday, and when he woke up in the morning he saw the slick washing up onto the shore.
Later, at around 11am, he saw government boats and staff conducting a clean-up operation.
A photo taken yesterday showed oil was still present on the beach. (Photo: Alex)
RTHK reports that the beach was closed to swimmers, and booms were set up to prevent the oil from coming ashore, with the authorities clearing “most of the slick” that day.
“The smell is terrible, if we open the window a strong smell of oil is everywhere and we can barely breathe without getting nauseous,” Alex said yesterday.
The photos he took yesterday show that large patches of oil remain on the beach.
Martin Williams, a local conservationist, told us today that he has also learned of an oil slick at Silvermine Beach on Lantau Island as well, adding that perhaps there are “extensive woes”.
The government is still tracing the source of the slick. The Environmental Protection Department has not yet returned a request for comment.
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