Authorities in northeastern China have mobilised 1,000 vessels to help clean up an oil spill in the Yellow Sea caused by a pipeline explosion and fire. A press report today said dozens of oil-skimming vessels were working to remove the slick off the port city of Dalian following Friday night's accident which spilled an estimated 1,500 tonnes of crude into the sea. In a statement, the Dalian government said another 1,000 local fishing vessels have been ordered to aid the clean-up operation. Authorities predicted the clean-up would take 10 days. The official China Central Television said the spill, which initially covered 50 square kilometres, had been reduced to 45 square kilometres as of today.The Dalian government said the last remnants of the fire had finally been put out, but did not explicitly say whether the spill had been completely halted.