South Korean Oil Spill

A Desolate Beach — AP Photo/Yonhap, Yun Seok-ee

A group of local residents make efforts to remove the crude oil spilled over the Mallipo beach, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007. Some 2.7 million gallons of oil gushed Friday from a 146,000-ton Hong Kong-registered supertanker after a barge carrying a crane slammed into it about seven miles off Mallipo beach.

The Source

The damaged Hong Kong-registered tanker following an accident off the Mallipo beach, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007.

A Victim

A bird covered with oil sits on the beach near Mallipo, South Korea, Dec. 8, 2007. South Korea's largest oil spill reached part of the country's scenic and environmentally sensitive western shore Saturday as the Coast Guard struggled in high waves and strong winds to keep more oil from washing up on beaches.

Trying To Contain The Damage

A South Korean Coast Guard ship sprays dissolving agent over oil-covered water to prevent further spread of the oil spilt by a tanker, Friday, Dec. 7, 2007. The spill released about 66,000 barrels (2.7 million gallons), said Coast Guard officer Jung Se-hi.

A Basket Of Oil

Local residents carry baskets full of retrieved crude oil.

Filling To The Brim

Local residents pour dense crude oil into a big jar at the Mallipo beach, Dec. 8, 2007.

The Country's Worst Oil Spill

South Korean volunteers clean up the shore covered with crude oil at Mallipo beach, about 106 miles southwest of Seoul, December 8, 2007.

Blotting Action

Local residents try to remove dense crude oil at the Mallipo beach. The spill was the country's largest, involving twice as much oil as a spill in 1995.