Philippines coast guard says oil leaking from capsized tanker

By -
Philippines coast guard says oil leaking from capsized tanker
Some industrial fuel oil from a capsized Philippine tanker has started to leak into Manila Bay, the coastguard said, as it races to avoid an environmental catastrophe.

The MT Terra Nova, carrying 1.4 million litres (369,840 gallons) of industrial fuel, capsized and sank off the coast of the Philippine capital, Manila.

The ensuing oil slick has now more than tripled in area, the coastguard said on Saturday, estimating it to stretch 12-14km (7.5-8.7 miles) across the bay, which thousands of fishermen and tourism operators rely on for their livelihoods.

The vessel sank in bad weather off Manila on Thursday as Typhoon Gaemi swept over the country, killing one crew member and leaving the country potentially facing its worst oil spill disaster. Sixteen crew members were rescued.

Divers inspected the hull of the vessel on Saturday and saw a “minimal leak” from the valves, coastguard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said, adding it was “not alarming yet”.

“We’re hoping that tomorrow we will be able to start siphoning the oil from the motor tanker,” he said. “But we are preparing for the worst-case scenario.”

The ship that will carry the recovered oil is on its way to the area, he said.

The coastguard has warned that if the entire cargo leaked, it would be an “environmental catastrophe”.

Earlier, the coastguard said it could take up to seven days to complete the process, given that the ship is now resting on the sea floor under 34 metres (111 feet) of water.

Oil containment booms have been deployed in the area to contain any possible environmental impact. Three coastguard vessels were also spreading dispersants on the oil.

Green Peace Philippines called on the government to “do everything to recover the vessel and its contents immediately to prevent further damage to the marine environment and coastal communities”.

The environment group said in a statement that “the sunken tanker … is a ticking time bomb that further imperils the health, safety and livelihoods of coastal communities around Manila Bay”.

In 2023, it took months to clean up after a tanker carrying 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil sank off the central island of Mindoro. Another tanker sank off the central island of Guimaras in 2006, spilling tens of thousands of gallons of oil that destroyed a marine reserve and fishing grounds.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 11 dead, others injured after train catches fire near Rahim Yar Khan

By Admin -
Image
At least 11 passengers lost their lives and 30 others sustained burn injuries when three carriages of a Tezgam Express caught fire due to explosion in a gas stove, according to initial reports. Meanwhile, firefighters have initiated a rescue operation to extinguish the fire and other passengers are being evacuated from the train to safe places. The affected carriages are being separated from the train. The train, Tezgam, was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi, when a gas cylinder carried by a passenger exploded, leaving several dead and injured. The fire was caused by the explosion in a gas cylinder, confirmed the Pakistan Railways official. According to details, the passengers were cooking breakfast when the gas cylinder exploded. After the blast, the raging fire engulfed two other coaches as well. Fire fighters were still extinguishing the fire as per last reports.
Read more

Three soldiers martyred in terrorist attack on checkpost in Balochistan’s Zarghoon

By -
Image
As many as three soldiers embraced martyrdom and one terrorist was killed in an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists in Zarghun, the area of Balochistan on Saturday. According to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an operation was launched in the area against suspected terrorists who attacked a security post. “Troops on the post retaliated readily to the fire raid thereby, pushing back the terrorists,” stated the military’s media wing. In the ensuing exchange of fire, three soldiers were martyred while one terrorist was also killed. The military identified the martyred soldiers as Sepoy Zaheer Ahmed, Sepoy Mudassir Shaheed and Lance Naik Abdul Qadeer. The ISPR stated that the post had recently been established to “check extortion efforts targeting coal mines in the area”. “Based on follow-up ISR effort, likely hideout of fleeing terrorists has been identified in nearby mountains and a deliberate blocking and sanitisation op...
Read more

Legal process to try May 9 planners, perpetrators under army act begins: COAS

By -
Image
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has said that the legal process of trial against planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators involved in the May 9 mayhem has commenced under Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act as per existing and established legal procedures derived from the Constitution. The army chief's statement came as he visited Jinnah House and an army installation in Lahore, which were blatantly attacked and vandalised by “politically motivated” rioters, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a handout. The COAS was also given a briefing on events of May 9 dubbed by the military as ‘Black Day’ — the day when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters ransacked and torched military installations across the country following the arrest of their leader Imran Khan in a graft case. Addressing the garrison officers and soldiers at Corps Headquarters, Gen Munir emphasised that any action aimed at widening a gulf between people and the milita...
Read more