22 Jan 2011

Pipeline leak off coast of India

7:35 am on 22 January 2011

A leaking oil pipeline has caused a slick a mile long off the western coast of India.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation says the leak occurred in the Mumbai-Uran trunk oil pipeline.

Discovered at 8:45am (0315 GMT on Friday), the leak was plugged after two hours and oil was diverted through another pipeline.

ONGC said about 25,000 barrels of oil had been lost.

The BBC reports the leak is about 80km from the city of Mumbai (Bombay).

In August, a tanker collided with a ship off Mumbai, spilling about 500 tonnes of oil into the Arabian Sea.