Authorities in the Philippines are scrambling to clean up the huge oil slick that spewed from the 65-meter-long MT Terra Nova after it capsized. The Coast Guard deployed floating dikes and began cleaning up the oil spill to prevent the oil from reaching the capital, Manila. The leak appears to be from the ship’s engine, not the cargo tank, which was carrying nearly 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel, authorities said.
It is feared that the leak with an extent of several kilometers could be the most serious in the country’s history if it is not stopped.
Videos released by the Coast Guard show crews scooping up oil from the affected waters with a bucket. But officials are preparing for the worst, said Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, a spokesman for the Coast Guard.
The area is popular with fishermen and there are fears that the spill could affect both the fishing industry and marine life.
– This is industrial fuel. This will definitely affect the marine environment and even reach us here in Manila
Rear Admiral Balilo said.
Hernando Bacosa, an environmental science expert at the Mindanao State University, told the British public media BBC that the amount of oil transported by the MT Terra Nova would justify issuing the country’s highest level oil spill alert.
– Manila Bay has the largest port in the Philippines, the center of trade and economic activity. This could possibly paralyze the capital and the surrounding areas
– He told. Experts say it will take a week to pump the oil out of the ship.
Cover image: The crew of the overturned MT Terra Nova ship is rescued by the experts of the Philippine authorities (Photo: AFP)
Source: magyarnemzet.hu
