Oil spill cleaned up off South China coast

HAIKOU -- An oil spill near the coast of China's island province of Hainan will be cleaned up on Monday, according to the local government, but the ecological impact is still to be determined.

The spill was caused by a fuel leak on a cargo ferry along the coast of Wenchang city on Saturday. The spill, measuring one to three meters wide, stretched 400 meters long before cleanup efforts began.

Five salvage vessels and 80 rescuers were mobilized. By late Sunday afternoon, three quarters of the spill had been contained, according to officials with Wenchang municipal government.

The city's fishery department has dispatched a team to investigate whether the oil spill had contaminated fish farms in the area.

The cause of the leak is being investigated.