Australian oil spill worse than thought

The amount of oil that leaked from a ship and blackened miles of sand along Australia’s north-east coast is ten times higher than originally estimated, according to a government official.

Authorities have declared a disaster zone along 37 miles of some of Australia’s most popular beaches in Queensland state after they were covered in oil that spilled from a ship hit by heavy seas on Wednesday.

Queensland state Deputy Premier Paul Lucas told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio today that officials originally thought between 5,300 and 7,900 gallons (20,000 and 30,000 litres) of oil had spilled.

Mr Lucas said it is “now apparent” that 60,700 gallons (230,000 litres) spilled.

He did not explain how he arrived at that estimate.

Anthony Tregoning, spokesman for Britain’s Swire Shipping, the ship’s owner, said the company would not be releasing any figures on how much oil had spilled.