Philippine oil tanker sinks near Manila, risking major spill
July 25, 2024
An oil tanker capsized off the Philippines on Thursday, raising concerns of a major oil spill in the Manila Bay.
The MT Terra Nova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when it capsized nearly 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) off the coast of Limay municipality in Bataan province.
"We are racing against time and we will try to do our best to contain it immediately and stop the fuel from leaking," Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said at a briefing.
Oil slick reported
Balilo said the Terra Nova sank in relatively shallow waters with a depth of 34 meters (111 feet).
An aerial survey of the incident spotted an oil slick spanning 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles). However, this oil may have come from the fuel intended to power the ship's engine.
Balilo said a leak of the ship's cargo could expose the capital, Manila, to the biggest oil spill in the country's history.
"There's a big danger that Manila would be affected, its shorelines, if the fuel leaks because this happened within Manila Bay. It's part of the contingency we're preparing for," he said. "The effect on the marine environment would not be good."
One plan to avert a crisis is to siphon off the oil, which would take around a week.
Crew members rescued
Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said 16 of the ship's 17 crew members had been rescued. Four received medical treatment.
A search was underway for the remaining crew member but Bautista said strong winds and high waves made rescue efforts difficult.
The Terra Nova sank after days of monsoon rains that were exacerbated by nearby Typhoon Gaemi, which also caused a ship to sink off Taiwan.
In a later statement, Balilo said the Philippine-flagged Terra Nova had not violated any rules and regulations about operating in severe weather conditions. An investigation has been launched to determine if the sinking was related to Gaemi.
zc/rmt (AP, AFP, Reuters)