Jul 26, 2024 - 17:48
By manilatimes.net

Tanker sinks in Manila Bay

(UPDATES) A PHILIPPINE-FLAGGED tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil capsized and sank off Manila on Thursday, authorities said, as they raced to contain a spill that stretched out for more than three kilometers.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to assess the impact of the oil spill, which the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) warned could be the biggest in the country's history.

The MT Terra Nova was heading for the central city of Iloilo when it capsized in Manila Bay, nearly seven kilometers off Limay municipality in Bataan province, near the capital, in the early hours.

The vessel went down a day after heavy rains fueled by Typhoon Carina and the seasonal monsoon lashed Manila and surrounding regions.

An oil spill stretching several kilometers has been detected in the busy waterway, and the PCG is preparing to deploy floating barriers to contain the slick.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the vessel was causing a massive oil spill in the area where it sank.

He said PCG personnel were able to immediately respond within 30 minutes after a distress call was made by the crew of the oil tanker.

«Unfortunately, five minutes after the distress call was sent, the tanker started to sink,» Bautista said.

Bautista said 16 of the 17 crew members had been rescued from the stricken vessel.

A search was underway for the missing crew member, but Bautista said strong winds and high waves were hampering these efforts.

Four of the crew were receiving medical treatment.

Bautista said several private shipping companies were also assisting.

An investigation into the cause of the incident was underway, but coast guard spokesman Rear Adm. Armando Balilo said the vessel had not broken rules on heavy weather sailing.

A public storm warning signal had not been raised when the MT Terra Nova departed Limay and «therefore did not violate rules and regulations,» Balilo said in a statement.

At a briefing earlier Thursday, Balilo said authorities were «racing against time» to contain the spill and stop more fuel from leaking.

He warned that if all the oil in the tanker