DUBAI. Apr 3: A gulf emirate appealed for international help Saturday to clean up nearly five million gallons of oil that spilled into the Gulf of Oman and was soiling its beaches. killing marine life' and threatening Its industries, reports AP.

' Large quantities of oil are washing up on beaches... and help is ndw required to avoid a major disaster to the area's beaches and marine life." the government of Fujairah said In a statement. It warned of potential damage to the tourism and fishing industries.

Fujairah is one of seven sheikhdoms federated in the UAE.

An estimated 15.900 tons, or 4.67 million gallons, of crude oil gradually spilled into the Gulf after the 293,239-ton . Panamanian-registered Seki collided with the UAE-regls-tered 57.213-ton Baynunah oh Wednesday, the statement said.

Fujairah said dead fish, turtles and other forms of marine life had washed ashore and scientists had been sent to the area to assess damage to beaches and to marine life.

The spill soiled patches of beach along more than 20 mi]es (32 kilometers) of the United Arab Emirates coastline stretching from north Fujairah to the coastal village of Diba. According to shipping executives.

But the official UAE news agency WAM late Saturday quoted Fujairah port deputy director Musa Murad as saying only three kilometers (1.5 miles) of beach had been hit.

He said Fujairah's desalination plants were safe.

The spill originally was es: timated at about 7.000 tons, or two million gallons.

It occurred about 9.5 miles (15 kilometers) from Fujairah's coast and about 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of the Strait of Hormuz, conduit for a fifth of the world's oil supplies.

Oil began coming ashore late Friday after marine currents and rough wind moved the main body of the slick north, the emirate's statement said.

"Our initial hopes of containing the spin were dashed when weather conditions altered." it said.