Philippine Coast Guard logo. (Photo from PCG/Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — A vessel containing “working fuel” sank off Mariveles town in Bataan province on Saturday afternoon, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Sunday.
The PCG reported that three Coast Guard vessels checked the waters of Barangay Cabcaben and confirmed the presence of the sunken vessel around 5 p.m. on Saturday.
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“Coast Guard divers conducted an initial underwater assessment earlier today and determined the identification of the vessel as – MTKR Jason Bradley. Diving operations are ongoing to determine the status of the sunken vessel,” the agency said.
“Salvage operations will commence soon — now preparing equipment. The operations will be done in one to two weeks,” it added.
The PCG said no other details about the vessel were provided.
Authorities said a Philippine-flagged tanker carrying industrial fuel “capsized and eventually submerged” in waters off Bataan last July 25.
On Saturday, the agency said the oil from the sunken Motor Tanker (MT) Terra Nova started to leak into Manila Bay, spreading about 12 to 14 kilometers across the area.
The PCG assured the public that the oil leak was manageable or minimal and its draining process “could be done quickly” within a week.