TANKER WITH 1.4M LITERS OF OIL SINKS OFF BATAAN; 1 DEAD, OIL SPILL DETECTED

A PHILIPPINE –FLAGGED tanker loaded with 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil early Thursday morning sank off Limay, Bataan.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) identified the vessel as MT Terra Nova, which capsized and eventually submerged 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay town.

According to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, the incident happened around 01:10 a.m. on Thursday.

The tanker was carrying 17 crew members. Only 16 were rescued while one – a second mate –, who was earlier reported missing, was found dead.

Four of the survivors received medical treatment.

The name of the fatality is being verified.

Surviving crew members told the PCG that they left Bataan on Wednesday night. They were about to exit Corregidor en route to Iloilo when they were hit by big waves.

OIL SLICK DETECTED

An oil slick estimated to be around 3.7 kilometers long has been detected in the surrounding waters, prompting authorities to implement appropriate response measures.

Coast guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo has assured that the fuel that had leaked was only “minimal” and had not come from the vessel’s cargo tanks.

ASSES IMPACT OF OIL SPILL  — PBBM

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered various government agencies to jointly assess the environmental impact of the oil spill after an oil tanker capsized early on the day off the coast of Bataan.

The President particularly ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to lead the assessment.

“Can we add an instruction to the DENR to make already an assessment on the environmental impact of this?,” President Marcos said during a situation briefing held at the Presidential Security Command compound.

“Basically, what we need to assess is where was the capsized vessel? The fuel is being released, what are the tides? What are the winds? Where is it headed? Para maunahan na natin. We need some determinations of that,” he added.

Environmental experts need to know which coastal areas are affected by the spill so that the government can prepare the necessary relief and remedy the situation, according to President Marcos.