BEIJING - Workers were scrambling to contain a huge oil slick from seeping further into the Yellow Sea yesterday after an explosion at an oil storage port in Dalian city in north-east China, state media said.

China Central Television reported that more than 2,000 firefighters fought the spectacular blaze, which broke out on Friday at the facility belonging to China National Petroleum, the country's main oil company.

No deaths or injuries were reported.

After extinguishing the blaze on Saturday, workers began using oil skimmers and dispersants to contain the oil slick from spreading beyond Dalian's Xingang Harbour.

At least 20 vessels were working to contain the 50-sq-km slick.

According to a preliminary investigation, a leak from a Libyan-flagged oil tanker being unloaded at the port caught fire, leading to explosions at two pipelines at the facility.

Television footage showed firefighters battling huge flames as thick black smoke filled the skies above the port. The blaze lasted 15 hours before it was extinguished.

Neither state media nor China National Petroleum have said how much oil was consumed in the explosion and the subsequent fire, nor was it clear how much oil leaked into the port.

In a statement on its website, China National Petroleum said it had launched an investigation into the accident and that the flow of oil into the port had been stopped.