DUBAI UAE officials said on Sunday they were trying to salvage a leaking fuel tanker that sank off the Persian Gulf state's northern coast a day earlier.

The 3,500-ton Zainab, which was carrying 1,300 tons of fuel oil, sank off the coast of Jebel Ali north of Dubai on Saturday afternoon, and the fate of its crew remains unknown.

An official at Dubai's Jebel Ali Port authority would not give any details about the incident but confirmed that his team was dealing with the situation. The UAE coast guards did not have any immediate comment.

The UAE's Federal Environment Agency (FEA) said in a statement that the vessel's hold was leaking but it did not give any details about the crew or the tanker's nationality.

The FEA statement said UAE officials held an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss ways to soak up the oil slick surrounding the tanker or redirect for treatment inland.

(Reuter)