Oil-slicked Rayong beach closed as clean-up operation begins
Rayong’s Mae Ram Phueng Beach was closed to the public on Saturday as officials launched an operation to clean up an oil spill washing ashore.
Beach vendors have been asked to suspend their business “until the situation returns to normal”, provincial governor Channa Iamsaeng said.
Meanwhile medical staff have been dispatched to the area to treat locals for allergies and nausea caused by the stench of crude oil.
The oil washed ashore from a leaking undersea pipe in the Gulf of Thailand, 20 kilometres off Rayong. An estimated 50,000 litres has spewed from the pipe, which is owned by Star Petroleum Refining Public Company Limited (SPRC).
Rayong’s chief public health official Dr Sunthorn Rheanpumikankit urged people to stay clear of oil-slicked beaches, which present a health hazard.
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