A Japanese tanker spilled about 4,500 tons (5.3 million liters, 1.4 million gallons) of crude oil in the eastern Indian Ocean near the Nicobar islands following a collision with a cargo ship, the tanker’s operator announced Tuesday.
Japan’s Kyodo news service said the spill may have been the largest ever involving a Japanese tanker.
The Bright Artemis tanker spilled the oil following a collision with the Amar, a smaller cargo ship, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said in a statement. It said the tanker had maneuvered near the Amar, which was in distress about 500 kilometers (300 miles) west of the Nicobars.