Some oil cargoes for China being diverted to Malaysia, S. Korea

Other cargoes are being diverted to South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and other locales in China, while storage tanks in Shandong province - where Qingdao is located - are filling swiftly, sources said (A general view of a crude oil importing port in Qingdao, Shandong province. - Filepic)

BEIJING/SINGAPORE/NEW YORK, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The coronavirus's effect on energy markets is worsening, as the sharp fall in demand in China, the world's largest importer of crude, is stranding oil cargoes off the country's coast and prompting shippers to seek out other Asian destinations.

More than 1,360 people have died from the coronavirus in China, which has disrupted the world's second largest economy and shaken energy markets, with international benchmark Brent crude oil down 15% since the beginning of the year.