Oil Tanker Sinking – “Battle Against the Clock”

The Philippine-flagged ship was carrying 1.4 million litres of oil.

Outside the capital Manila, it sank and oil leaked.

Now the Coast Guard is fighting against the clock to stop the oil disaster.

Strong winds and high waves are complicating rescue efforts. One crew member has died.

The Philippine Coast Guard said the ship “capsized and eventually sank below the surface of the water.” An oil spill was discovered covering about 3.7 kilometers, and was being carried northeast by strong currents.

“We are racing against time and will do our best to stop the leak immediately,” said Armando Balilo, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard.

Later, the Coast Guard announced that the ship sank in relatively shallow waters, which may allow the oil to be sucked out of the ship with the help of a private ship.

Balilo said the dredging could be done quickly to protect the waters of Manila Bay and around Bataan province from environmental, social, economic and political impacts.

Balilo warns that if all the oil in the tanker spills, it would be the largest spill in Philippine history.

He says there is a great risk that Manila, as well as the Manila coast, could be affected if the oil spills.