Coast guard working to contain oil spill from sunken ship

BACOLOD City — The Philippine Coast Guard yesterday was working to contain an oil slick about three to four kilometers off the coast of Manapla town in Negros Occidental where the MV Asia Malaysia, which was reportedly carrying thousands of liters of bunker fuel, sunk Sunday.

Lt. Commander Godofredo Vagilidad, PCG Bacolod head, said the ship sank about 50 feet to 60 feet and was about three kilometers from Manapla town in Negros Occidental. All 178 passengers and crew of MV Asia Malaysia had been rescued and brought to Iloilo.

Commodore Athelo Ybañez, Western Visayas PCG commander, said the oil slick coming from the sunken vessel was about 200 yards long and 30 to 50 yards wide and was moving northeast towards northern Iloilo.

Coast guard boats were in the area with a chemical dispersant and spill booms working to disperse the oil to prevent it from causing environmental damage and hitting coastal areas, especially in northern Iloilo and some parts of Negros Occidental, Ybañez added.

A helicopter was in the area, which is visible from the air during low tide, to conduct aerial surveys of the spills for swift containment, he said.

Ybañez disclosed that the vessel had 5,000 liters of diesel fuel and 16,000 liters of bunker fuel on board.

While the diesel fuel would dissolve in the water, Ybañez said the bunker fuel would be very damaging to the environment and difficult to clean up.

He also warned that there was a possibility that the fuel tanks could burst from the pressure of seawater even if the fuel valves on the vessel were sealed.

Ybañez said the PCG divers on Monday had checked on the position of the sunken vessel, which was closer to the shore of Manapla than it was to Iloilo.

The PCLK Mercantile and Services, the salvor company hired by Trans Asia Shipping Lines was expected to arrive today to seal the valves and caps on the vessel to prevent oil and fuel spill, Manapla Mayor Lourdes Escalante said yesterday.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon has ordered an assessment of the situation for possible damage to the Manapla reef, which has been the subject of rehabilitation, Escalante said.

The boat sank off Manapla where the waters were shallow, she said.

“We are very worried about an oil spill because of the damage it will do to our reef and the livelihood of our fishermen,” Escalante added.

The MV Asia Malaysia left Cebu 6 p.m. Saturday and was scheduled to arrive in Iloilo 8 a.m. Sunday. The ship captain issued a distress signal and an abandon-ship order shortly before 6 a.m. after the ship listed by 35 degrees on its right side, Ybañez added. It sank at 8:50 a.m. Sunday.

The vessel sailed normally on its course until 4 a.m. Sunday when it encountered strong winds and big waves, Trans-Asia had said.  /INQUIRER