Oily matter that reached two islands in southern Japan is highly likely to come from a sunken Iranian tanker, given its similarity to oil floating near the tanker and a lack of other oil spills in the area, the Japan Coast Guard said on Thursday. The coast guard said seawater samples from 14 different locations in offshore southern Japan detected no oil pollution from the sunken tanker.Seawater samples taken from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 at 14 different locations offshore southern Japan detected no oil pollution from the sunken tanker, the Coast Guard said in a statement on Wednesday.An oil slick continues to be seen near where the Sanchi sank. The slick is located about 315 km (197 miles) west of Amami-Oshima island and is about 700 meters long and 20 meters wide, though oil has been evaporating from the fringes, the Coast Guard said in a statement on Thursday. Japanese and Chinese patrol boats have been searching for the missing crew in the area and sailing over the slick to try to dissipate the oil, it added.
