Philippine tanker sinks, spilling 1,500 tons of fuel

A marine tanker carrying industrial fuel sank in rough seas off the Philippines on Thursday, causing a large oil spill as coast guard rescuers searched for a missing crew member, officials said.

As reported by Reuters, sixteen of the 17 crew members of MT Terra Nova have been rescued, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said, after the ship capsized off the coastal town of Limay in Bataan province. A search is underway for the missing sailor.

"There is already oil spill. Right now, we cannot dispatch our resources because of strong winds and high waves," Bautista told a situation briefing.

The ship was carrying 1,494 metric tons of industrial fuel, Bautista said. Based on accounts of the rescued crew, they encountered rough seas before the ship capsized.

Philippine coast guard spokesperson Armando Balilo said a 97-meter coast guard vessel had been deployed to search for the missing crew member and combat the oil spill. Smaller vessels are waiting for the weather to clear before they can 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," Balilo said.

He added that the waters where the ship sank are close to Manila, posing a significant risk that the spill could reach the capital. "That's part of the contingencies that we are preparing for," Balilo said.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the environment ministry to assess the damage. The ministry's chief is on her way to Limay.

An investigation is underway to determine if the sinking is related to Typhoon Gaemi, which on Wednesday flooded parts of Manila and surrounding towns. At least 14 people have died from the typhoon and monsoon rains, according to government data, with officials warning the toll could rise.

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

Last year, oil tanker MT Princess Empress capsized on February 28 while carrying about 800,000 liters of industrial fuel. The resulting oil spill took three months to clean up and affected several tourist towns.

[Information sourced from Reuters]