Mr Bautista said an oil spill had been detected, but strong winds and high waves hampered the authorities’ response.
The incident comes a day after Typhoon Gaemi intensified seasonal monsoon rains, plunging large swaths of Metro Manila and its suburbs into deep floods.
Gaemi made landfall in Taiwan, killing three and injuring hundreds of others.
The MT Terra Nova was heading for the central Philippine city of Iloilo when it sank, leaving an oil slick stretching for several kilometers, authorities said.
“It capsized and eventually sank,” the Coast Guard said in a report according to the BBC, adding that they are investigating whether bad weather was a factor.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Vice Admiral Armando Balilo said in a briefing that the agency was “racing against time” to contain the spill.
He added that if all the oil in the tanker leaked, it would be the biggest spill in Philippine history.
“There is a big risk that Manila, even the coastline of Manila, will be affected if the fuel leaks because it is inside Manila Bay,” he said.
Manila Bay, where the tanker capsized, is home to busy sea lanes and its shores are home to shopping malls, casino resorts and fishing communities.
In March 2023, an oil tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel sank off the coast of Oriental Mindoro province.
This oil washed up on the shores of several nearby fishing villages, covering the beaches with black mud.
Residents in coastal villages reported experiencing cramps, vomiting and dizziness, while cleaning workers deployed in the affected village of Pola also reported feeling ill.
Almost two decades earlier, an oil tanker carrying about two million liters of oil sank in heavy seas off the island province of Guimaras. However, only one of its 10 compartments leaked oil.
Celine Dion before the start of the Olympics: “I’m so happy to be back” – Will she finally appear?
Prince Harry: From afar and beloved – Meghan Markle will not return to Britain
Thesprotia: A 26-year-old man was found dead in a car – He had a gunshot wound
Plague: Unthinkable- Animals were buried alive- Sue from Kureta- The head of the Veterinary Service was dismissed
#Philippines #Huge #ecological #disaster #tanker #oil #spill #contaminate #area
