On Tuesday, February 28th, a motor ship loaded with 800,000 liters of industrial oil, sank off the coast of the town of Naujan, in Oriental Mindoro, about 207 kilometers south of the capital Manila.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that the diesel oil that fuels the MT Princess Empress left a spill at least 5 kilometers long and 500 meters wide in the surrounding waters. The vessel is controlled by RDC Reield Marine Services.
It is not known whether the ship's industrial oil cargo also leaked. PCG's marine environmental protection team continues to assess the area.
PCG plans to install booms or plastic barriers which aids to contain the diesel spills. The agent of the MT Princess Empress told the Coast Guard that he would send two tugs to inspect the vessel and install its booms.
According to the PCG, the MT Princess Empress left Bataan province on the southwestern coast of the country and headed for Iloilo, an island province in the central Philippines.
The tanker developed engine problems due to overheating and then drifted towards waters off eastern Mindoro before rough sea conditions swamped the vessel.
The PCG reported that the foreign-flagged ship rescued all 20 crew members who were considered in good physical condition after a check-up at a medical center in the Naujan City.
Jennifer Mindanao-Cruz, mayor of Pola near Naujan, known for its white sand beaches, ordered residents and city officials to prepare in case diesel oil enters the area.
She posted pictures on Facebook of several life jackets, rafts and other rescue equipment that she believed were from the drowned tanker.
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