Philippines prepared for possible major spill from sunken vessel: coast guard

Bangkok Desk, Jul 26 (EFE).- The Philippines is prepared for “the worst case scenario” in the event of a major oil spill from a tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of fuel that sank this week due to stormy weather in Manila Bay, the Philippine Coast Guard said Friday.

In a statement, Coast Guard spokesman Armando Balilo said work was ongoing to remove the engine fuel spilled by the MT Terra Nova, although none of the stored industrial fuel has been spilled yet.

The Coast Guard said the ship sank early Thursday morning about seven kilometers off the coast of Limay municipality on Luzon island.

Balillo said that with the ship sunk at a depth of 34 meters, the work to remove the 1.4 million liters of fuel should take about seven days.

“Nothing to worry about, but we are not complacent. We are also prepared for the worst-case scenario to address the effect on the marine environment,” Balilo said.

The 16 rescued crew members have already returned to their families, while the body of the sailor who died in the shipwreck has been handed over to his relatives.

Mayor Nelson David of Limay town, near to where the ship capsized in Manila Bay, said in an interview that the Terra Nova had spilled some 400 to 500 liters, which are being cleaned up by authorities.

The Coast Guard on Thursday deployed three ships to help contain the fuel spill from the tanker’s engine and prevent the stored fuel from spilling.

The shipwreck followed a strong storm caused this week by a monsoon front and Typhoon Gaemi, which left at least 14 dead, more than 1.1 million people affected and 290 houses damaged or destroyed in the country, according to official data.

The typhoon did not make landfall in the Philippines, but caused severe flooding and landslides initially in the south and later on the northern island of Luzon, where classes have been suspended in many localities and clean-up work continues.

According to the Philippine weather service PAGASA, Gaemi, which has also hit Taiwan and China, left Philippine waters on Thursday morning. EFE

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