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Southern Taiwan swimmers stained with oily sludge

Pollution tars early morning swimmers near Kaohsiung’s Sizihwan Beach

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Southern Taiwan swimmers stained with oily sludge

(CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — More than 10 people were heavily stained with patches of oily black sludge after taking an early morning swim in the waters of Taiwan’s southern port city of Kaohsiung on Sunday morning (April 18).

The sludge was reportedly difficult to remove with soap and water and destroyed some of the swimsuits, CNA reported.

Deputy Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) Director-General Sung Hsin-chen (宋欣真) told media on Tuesday that Coast Guard personnel inspecting the area along the Sizihwan shoreline near National Sun Yat-sen University located about 50 meters of surface pollution.

Authorities have been using oil absorbent materials to clean the contaminated area and have been tracking down the source of the leak. It is suspected that the pollution was stealthily released from ships, according to the report.

Southern Taiwan swimmers stained with oily sludge
(CNA photo)