Another Philippine oil tanker sinks off coast due to storm

The Philippine Coast Guard announced on July 28 that another oil tanker sank off the coast of Mariveles town in Bataan province, west of Manila.

A member of the Philippine Coast Guard prepares an oil spill containment buoy at a port in Limay, Bataan, on July 25. (Source: AFP)

Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said the oil tanker MTKR Jason Bradley sank at 5:00 p.m. on July 27 (local time).

According to Mr. Balilo, three Coast Guard vessels have arrived at the scene of the accident and located the sunken ship. The team has confirmed that there is an oil slick in the area and is deploying booms to ensure that the oil does not spread. The rescue operation could take one to two weeks.

Mr Balilo also announced that Philippine authorities had to postpone recovering fuel from the tanker MT Terra Nova that sank earlier in Manila Bay, while fears of an environmental disaster grew as leaking oil began to wash ashore.

Mr. Balilo clarified that the pumping of 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil from the MT Terra Nova's hold will be postponed until July 30 so that divers can seal nine leaking valves first. According to Mr. Balilo, despite bad weather, divers are trying to seal these valves on July 29 to prevent further oil leakage.

The MT Terra Nova tanker sank off Limay town in Bataan province on July 25, killing one crew member and leaving the Philippines facing what could be its worst oil spill to date. The leaking oil has now reached the shoreline of Hagonoy City, about 40 kilometers northwest of Manila, Balilo said. Coast Guard cleanup teams have been dispatched to the area to spray dispersants. However, the extent of damage to the beach from the spill is still unknown.

The coast guard has warned that if the entire oil leak is contained, it will cause an “environmental disaster.” It has also urged fishermen to stop fishing in Manila Bay to avoid consuming contaminated fish.

The sinkings occurred amid heavy rains from Typhoon Gaemi, combined with monsoon rains that hit Manila and surrounding areas. The Philippines has had its share of oil spills. In 2023, Philippine authorities spent months dealing with the sinking of a ship carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil off the central island of Mindoro, polluting beaches in the area and severely affecting the fishing and tourism industries.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/them-mot-tau-cho-dau-philippines-bi-chim-ngoai-khoi-do-bao-280506.html