SPAIN — The Bahamian-flagged tanker Prestige broke in half on Tuesday, spilling more than 1 million gallons of oil off Spain’s northwest coast, also known as “coast of death” because of the many shipwrecks there. Spanish authorities are scrambling to protect the coastline as heavy winds and waves would move any slick that develops into shore quickly.

The Prestige’s original cargo was 22.6 million gallons before it ran into trouble six days ago in heavy seas. Forecasts indicated winds up to 40 knots and waves up to 20 feet. Spanish officials said they did not know whether the vessel’s bow was leaking fuel or if so, how much. The cleanup effort might take as long as four years, they speculated.

(via CNN)