Concern over suspected oil belt near coastal centers

TIANJIN - Officials in this coastal city have detected a suspected oil belt in the coastal waters of Bohai Bay, which could be evidence of the worsening impact of a massive oil leak that began in June.

"The suspected oil belt is about 3 kilometers long and 3 to 4 meters wide," Zhang Jinguo, an official at the Tianjin Oceanic Administration, said on Thursday.

Zhang said that no oil slick has been detected, and whether the substance in the water is an oil belt will not be confirmed until test results are released. A fisherman was the first person to notice the suspected oil belt on Monday.