TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is rushing to deploy floating barriers and oil dispersant to prevent what could become a major ecological disaster after a tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of fuel sank in the Bay of Manila on Thursday (July 25).
The Philippine-flagged vessel MT Terra Nova sent out a distress call early Thursday morning after the vessel began to take on water due to strong winds and rough seas in the wake of Typhoon Gaemi. The boat eventually capsized and sank around 7 kilometers from Limay, Bataan Province, reported the Inquirer.
The 17-person crew fled the vessel as it was sinking. While 16 were safely rescued, one crew member is still missing at sea, as of Friday (July 26).
After an initial survey on Thursday morning, the PCG reported an oil slick stretching about 10.4 kilometers, covering a total area of approximately 3.7 square kilometers. It is uncertain if the oil slick is comprised of only the vessel’s “working fuel” supply, or if the fuel being carried as cargo is also leaking.
If the Terra Nova’s main cargo tanks have been damaged, the disaster will be the largest oil spill in Philippine history and could compromise wildlife and ecology across the entire Bay of Manila.
On Friday, the PCG was using several ships to deploy a dispersant and floating barriers to contain the spill. The government acknowledges it is in a race against time to siphon the industrial fuel from the sunken ship to avoid an ecological catastrophe.
The PCG has reportedly established a seven-day plan to contain the spill and offload the fuel that has been compromised, per the Inquirer. All commercial activity in the Bay of Manila has been suspended until the operation is completed.