BEIJING, Jul 2 (AP) -- A Chinese tanker spilled oil after colliding with a container vessel off the coast of northeastern China on Saturday, state media reported.

The incident occurred near Dalian, a major industrial port in Liaoning province, Xinhua News Agency said. It wasn't known how much oil had been spilled.

No people were injured in the collision, the agency said. It did not report on the cause of the collision but said an investigation has been launched.

The agency said the container ship was flying a foreign flag but didn't identify its country of origin.

The local maritime emergency rescue center sent vessels to clean up the polluted areas.