A South Korean supertanker has spilled about 66,000 barrels of crude oil into the Yellow Sea off the country's west coast after a collision with a barge, local media said Friday.

The accident occurred on Friday morning when a crane on a barge crashed into the Hebei Spirit tanker, which was carrying 1.8 million barrels of crude oil, near the Taean port, south of Seoul.

The Yonhap news agency said more oil could leak into the sea as the accident had left three gashes in the tanker's hull.

The spill is the largest in Korean waters since 1995, when over 30,000 barrels of crude leaked into the sea off the country's south coast.