The sinking caused part of the cargo of 1.4 million liters of hydrocarbons to spill, the Philippine Coast Guard said Saturday.
The sinking of an oil tanker in Manila Bay has already caused the release of some 1.4 million litres of hydrocarbons, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Saturday, as it works to prevent an environmental disaster.
The Philippine-flagged MT Terra Nova sank Thursday morning in bad weather, killing one crew member and threatening to be one of the worst oil spills in the Southeast Asian archipelago.
Divers inspecting the ship’s hull noticed “minimal leaks” from valves, coast guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said, adding that the situation was not clear at the time.
“It’s only a small volume that is being spilled,” Balilo said, adding that “the reservoirs are intact.”
“We hope to start diverting oil tomorrow (Sunday),” he added.
The Coast Guard previously said oil used to power the ship had leaked, but its tanks were intact.
The oil spill, which has more than tripled in size, now extends 12 to 14 kilometres into the bay, on which thousands of fishermen and tour operators depend for their livelihood.
A ship capable of transporting the oil recovered from the tanker that sank in about 34 meters of water off the coast of Manila is on its way, Balilo said.
The coast guard warned that if the entire cargo escaped it would be an “environmental disaster.”
According to authorities, floating barriers were deployed in case of a “worst case” – a leak from the tank containing industrial fuel oil. Three coast guard ships also began spraying the oil with dispersants.
Balilo called for a halt to fishing in Manila Bay to prevent people from “eating contaminated fish.”
Authorities initially said the cargo was diesel used to power the ship, but now believe it was a mix of diesel and industrial fuel oil.
Source: Observadora
