March 1 ------ A motor tanker loaded with 800,000 liters of industrial oil sank after encountering engine trouble and triggered oil spill in the vicinity waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday, Feb. 28. A report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said MT Princess Empress departed from Bataan en route to Iloilo with 20 crew members when its engine overheated around 2 a.m. “It then drifted towards the vicinity waters off Balingawan Point due to rough sea conditions until it became half-submerged,” the PCG report stated.
Meanwhile, MV Efes, a foreign vessel, rescued all the crew members who were all deemed to be in good physical condition, the report noted. The PCG said it deployed BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) and personnel of Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog to assess the vicinity waters “for possible traces of an oil spill.”
In an update released 5 p.m., the PCG confirmed that the incident resulted to an oil spill although it involved diesel from the vessel and not the industrial oil it was carrying. The oil spill has an estimated area of five kilometers long and 500 meters wide near the area where MT Princess Empress sank, the PCG said. The Coast Guard Aviation Force also dispatched an airbus helicopter for aerial surveillance. MT Princess Empress’ agent, Argie Gicanto, told the PCG that they will deploy two tugboats with oil spill boom, which is used to contain oil spill, to monitor the motor tanker and respond to any eventuality.
Source: mb.com.ph
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