Worst oil spills in history explained including Torrey Canyon, BP Deepwater Horizon and Amoco Cadiz - after tanker collision in North Sea

"Multiple explosions" were heard as the Stena Immaculate tanker was struck by the Solong container ship - which was carrying toxic compound sodium cyanide. The tanker was operating as part of the US Government’s Tanker Security Programme - a fleet of commercial vessels which can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed.

And though its sodium cyanide payload can produce harmful gas when combined with water, it remains unclear whether there had been any leak. Here we take a look back at some of history’s worst environmental spills.

Persian Gulf - January 1991

On January 21, 1991, Iraqi troops set fire to oil wells as they withdrew from Kuwait, releasing an estimated 380-520 million gallons of oil into the gulf. The slick from this spill reached a jaw-dropping 101 miles by 42 miles in size.

BP Deepwater Horizon - April 2010

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon exploded, burned, and sank into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill ultimately leaked approximately 206 million gallons of oil, killed 11 workers, and injured 17 others.

Ixtoc 1 - June 1979

In June 1979, an exploratory well exploded in the Bay of Campeche, spilling an estimated 140 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill resulted in oil washing up on beaches, devastating tourism and commercial fishing in the area. The previously flourishing shrimp fishery has still not fully recovered today.

Atlantic Empress - July 1979

On July 19, 1979, the SS Atlantic Empress collided with another tanker, the Aegean Captain, off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago during a tropical storm. The collision led to an estimated 90 million gallons of oil spilling into the Caribbean.

Amoco Cadiz - March 1978

On March 16, 1978, during a winter storm, the Amoco Cadiz super tanker collided with the Portsall Rocks three miles off the coast of France and ran aground. The tanker split in half, spilling around 69 million gallons of oil into the ocean and contaminating 200 miles of ecologically and culturally important French coastline.

Torrey Canyon ship - March 1967

The SS Torrey Canyon hit the rocks of the Isles of Scilly on 18 March 1967 and sank soon after. Some 117,000 tonnes of crude oil poured out into the ocean off the coast of Cornwall and started drifting across the Channel towards the French and Spanish coasts.