A pipeline rupture in Iran has caused a 20-kilometre oil slick along the shores of the Gulf, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.

The spill was caused by an explosion in a corroded pipeline at the port city of Daylam in Bushehr province, Mehr said.

“The pipeline blast and the subsequent discharge of crude oil has created large spills in the sea, some of which stretch 20 km (12 miles) along the shoreline going 8 km (5 miles) into the sea,” said Amir Sediqi, a local official of the Environmental Organization.