Metro Manila, Philippines — One crew member was killed in a Philippine motor tanker that capsized and sank off Bataan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Thursday.
Oil spill
The PCG reported an initial oil spill from the vessel’s working fuel .
The motor tanker was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel. PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo noted this is a larger volume than the 800,00 liters of oil that spilled in Oriental Mindoro in 2023.
“Marine environmental protection personnel have also been mobilized to combat the oil spill,” the PCG said.
Authorities said the spill may affect Manila shores if not immediately contained; the vessel sank in a portion of Manila Bay.
The coast guard said it will meet with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to determine possible impact on marine environment.
Authorities recovered his body in waters off Limay, Bataan at 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 25.
The crew member went missing after the vessel capsized 3.6 nautical miles east of Lamao point in Limay town.
Authorities have identified the vessel as MT Terra Nova and headed to Iloilo.
Rescuers saved 16 crew members.
Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said based on their investigation, the vessel cleared sailing rules during bad weather.
“There was no public storm warning signal raised over Bataan when MT Terra Nova departed from Limay, Bataan,” the coast guard said in a statement.
In a situation briefing on Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered government agencies to coordinate with DENR to assess the environmental impact of the oil spill.
The PCG said it has deployed three vessels to help in the oil spill response operations in Bataan.
