ManilacTypeface:> The Philippine coastguard reported on Saturday that a portion of the 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil from a tanker that sank during severe waves has begun leaking into Manila Bay.
While the leakage remains minimal, authorities have advised fishermen to avoid the area as the fish may be contaminated.
Divers inspected the hull of the ill-fated MT Terra Nova on Saturday morning and found “minimal leaks” in the valves, said Rear Admiral Armand Balilo from the coastguard.
“The situation is not yet alarming because only a small volume is flowing out and the tank is intact,” he said.
Balilo said that the visible oil spill extended from an initial 3 kilometres to about 12 to 14 kilometres.
This is “still manageable, but we are not going to be complacent,” he added. “Let’s not fish there for now. You might get sick. We are trying to do our best so that the livelihood of our fishermen will not get affected,” he said. (DPA)
