Panama Canal Partially Blocked By Spill

The Panama Canal was partially blocked after a Greek-flagged tanker spilled about 162 gallons of crude oil during a southbound transit of one of the waterway's three sets of locks, the canal's administration said. Staff from the waterway's Emergencies and Contingencies Division detained the tanker Neapolis as it passed through Pedro Miguel lock, after they spotted the vessel leaking crude oil, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said in a news release. The 749-ft. (228-m) by 105-ft. (32-m) vessel, which was headed for the Pacific Ocean, remained in the western lane of the lock's upper chamber Thursday morning while personnel worked to staunch the flow of oil, the ACP said. - (Reuters)