Philippine oil tanker causes oil spill after capsizing off waters of Bataan

A MARINE tanker carrying industrial fuel sank in rough seas off the Philippines on Thursday, causing a large oil spill, authorities said.

A search was under way for a missing crew member of the MT Terra Nova, which was carrying 1,494 metric tons of industrial fuel when it capsized off the coastal town of Limay, Bataan province in the country’s north, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista told a situation briefing with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in Manila.

Sixteen crew members were rescued.

“There is already an oil spill,” he said. “Right now, we cannot dispatch our resources because of strong winds and high waves.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armando A. Balilo told a separate briefing a 97-meter coast guard vessel had been deployed to search for the missing sailor and combat the oil spill.

Smaller vessels were waiting for the weather to clear before they could sail.

An aerial survey by the coast guard showed an oil slick spreading roughly two nautical miles and being driven by strong waves.

“We are racing against time. We will do our best to contain the fuel,” Mr. Balilo said.

He added that the waters where the ship sank is close to Manila, and there is a “big danger” the spill could reach the capital.

“That’s part of the contingencies that we are preparing for,” Mr. Balilo said.

At the situation briefing, Mr. Marcos ordered the Environment department to assess the damage. The agency’s chief was on her way to Limay town.

Mr. Marcos told the Environment and Science and Technology departments and the Philippine Coast Guard to assess the environmental impact of the spill.

An investigation was under way whether the sinking was related to Super Typhoon Carina (International name: Gaemi), which on Wednesday flooded swathes of the capital Manila and surrounding towns.

At least 21 people have died from the super typhoon and monsoon rains, according to police. Authorities said the toll could go up.

LSEG’s Eikon data showed Terra Nova has a deadweight tonnage of 1,415 tons and was headed to the central province of Iloilo.

The oil tanker MT Princess Empress was carrying about 800,000 liters of industrial fuel when it capsized on Feb. 28 last year and eventually sank, causing an oil spill that took three months to clean up and hit tourist towns. — NPA with Reuters