TOKYO - Japanese ships yesterday tried to break up slicks from one of the biggest oil spills ever to threaten the nation's coast, but efforts were "hampered by bad weather, officials said.
An estimated 3,700 tonnes of heavy oil have escaped from a ruptured Russian tanker, which broke up in the Sea of Japan off the northern coast on Thursday, prompting the Maritime Safety Agency to set up a special task force to handle the potential crisis.
