One life lost as Philippines struggles to control oil spill from sinking tanker

• An industrial fuel tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of fuel capsized off the coast of the Philippines, resulting in one fatality and a significant oil spill, according to local authorities.
• Sixteen other crew members were rescued.
• The torrential monsoon and Typhoon Gaemi, known as Carina in the Philippines, caused heavy rain and flooding in Manila.

An industrial fuel tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of fuel capsized off the coast of the Philippines, resulting in one fatality and a significant oil spill, according to local authorities.

At 1:10 a.m. Philippine time, the Philippine-flagged MT Terra Nova submerged 3.6 nautical miles east off Limay, Bataan, according to the country's Coast Guard.

According to MarineTraffic.com, the vessel left Limay and was heading towards Iloilo in the Philippines.

The body of the missing crew member was found, while 16 of the 17 crew members on board have been rescued, with four staff receiving further medical attention.

The Coast Guard has deployed three 44-meter multi-role response vessels to address the oil spill and finish siphoning the fuel from the sunken tanker within seven days.

The Coast Guard's CG Admiral Gavan explained that these vessels will apply oil dispersants to mitigate impact, especially during the siphoning preparation period, as the Coast Guard coordinates its initiative with several Oil Spill Response Organizations.

Balilo stated that the vessel sank only 34 meters deep, which is relatively shallow. Siphoning the water will not require technical expertise and can be done quickly to safeguard the waters of Bataan and Manila Bay from environmental, social, economic, financial, and political consequences.

The Philippine Coast Guard Aviation Command separately announced that it had deployed air assets on a search-and-rescue mission to the sunken tanker.

The incident occurred during a heavy rainstorm and strong winds as Typhoon Gaemi, also known as Carina, and the seasonal monsoon hit Manila, a city with an estimated population of nearly 15 million. The typhoon made landfall on the east coast of Taiwan, causing severe flooding in the capital of the Philippines, and prompting the Metro Manila Council to declare a state of calamity in the city.

Officials announced that over 94,000 individuals were displaced due to flooding in the NCR as of 10 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to a briefing with Philippines President Bongbong Marcos.

The Coast Guard's Balilo stated that no Public Storm Warning Signal was raised over Bataan when MT Terra Nova left Limay, and hence, the vessel did not breach any rules and regulations regarding the movement of vessels during severe weather.

In late February 2023, the Philippines experienced one of its most severe oil spills, which are known to be highly destructive to maritime environments and challenging and costly to clear. The Philippines-flagged tanker MT Princess Empress suffered engine troubles in rough seas and sank with its load of 800,000 litres of industrial fuel oil off the central Oriental Mindoro province.