Oil Pipelines in Dalian Explode

Crude oil spilled into Dalian's Xingang Harbor after one oil pipeline blast ignited another pipeline

(Beijing) - Two oil pipelines owned by China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) exploded and caught fire on July 16 near Dalian's Xingang Harbor.

More than 2,000 firefighters fought the blaze and most of the fire was put out on the morning of July 17, 15 hours after the initial explosion, according to Xinhua News Agency. No casualties were reported.

Maritime workers in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, are still cleaning up the polluted seawater covering a 50 square kilometer area. About 20 vessels were cleaning the oil spill on July 17, including four patrol boats from the provincial maritime bureau.

According to Sun Benqiang, deputy chief of Dalian Administration Bureau of Safety Working, Liaoning provincial government sent an investigation team to the site of the accident on July 18. Sun said it's too early to say whether the previously reported foreign oil tanker or CNPC should be responsible for the accident.