Collision Causes Oil Spill Near Panama Canal

Two ships collided on the Atlantic approach to the Panama Canal June 1, spilling an "undetermined" quantity of bunker oil, the waterway's administrators said.

The British-registered container ship M/V Sidney Star hit Panama-flagged grain carrier M/V Royal Ocean while approaching the Canal's entrance, sustaining damage to its port side fuel tanks, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said.

ACP workers staunched the flow of fuel oil, and the two ships were directed to a Canal anchorage at Cristobal for inspection, the authority said. No injuries were reported.