Philippines ‘races against time’ to contain leak from capsized oil tanker

The sinking of the MT Terra Nova, which is carrying some 1.4 million liters (ca. 370,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil, has the potential to become the worst oil spill disaster in the country history.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: July 28, 2024 11:02 PM IST

2 min read

The tanker is currently on the sea bed, some 34 meters (116 feet) under water. (Source: DW)

The Philippine Coast Guard on Sunday applied sealant on leaking valves of an oil tanker that capsized in the Manila Bay.

As it races against time to avoid an environmental catastrophe, the coast guard deployed divers who confirmed the presence of nine leaking valves, and applied a second layer of sealant on them by 10.42 am local time. Divers will conclude their operations after confirming the absence of industrial fuel oil leakage on board MT Terra Nova.

The oil tanker, carrying 1.4 million litres (369,840 gallons) of industrial fuel, capsized off the coast of the Philippine capital Manila on Thursday. The vessel sank amid bad weather as Typhoon Gaemi swept the country, killing one crew member, while sixteen others were rescued.

The ensuing oil slick has now more than tripled in area, Al Jazeera reported, estimating it to stretch 12-14 km across the bay. The capital Manila and surrounding shoreline are considered at risk.

With oil containment booms in place, the coast guard pegged the salvage process could take up to seven days. The tanker is currently on the sea bed, some 34 meters (116 feet) under water.

Earlier, a coast guard spokesman had said divers had discovered a “minimal leak” from the ship’s valves, but said it was “not alarming yet.” It had also said leaking oil appeared to be only the diesel fuel used to power the vessel.

The Philippines has suffered a number of oil catastrophes in recent years. In 2023, a tanker with 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil on board sank off the central island of Mindoro, with the resulting contamination devastating the fishing and tourism industries for months. Another tanker sank off the central island of Guimaras in 2006, causing a massive oil spill that destroyed a marine reserve and ruined local fishing grounds.

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