Another Philippine oil tanker sinks offshore due to storm.

The Philippine Coast Guard announced on July 28 that another oil tanker had sunk off the coast of Mariveles town in Bataan province, west of Manila.

A member of the Philippine Coast Guard prepares an oil spill containment boom at a port in Limay, Bataan, on July 25. (Source: AFP)

Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said the MTKR Jason Bradley oil tanker sank at 5:00 p.m. local time on July 27.

According to Mr. Balilo, three Coast Guard vessels have arrived at the accident site and located the sunken ship. The research team has confirmed an oil slick in the area and is deploying oil containment booms to prevent the slick from spreading. Rescue operations could last from one to two weeks.

Mr. Balilo also announced that Philippine authorities had to postpone the recovery of fuel from the MT Terra Nova oil tanker that sank earlier in Manila Bay, while fears of an environmental disaster grew as oil leaks began to spill ashore.

Mr. Balilo stated that the pumping of 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil from the MT Terra Nova tanker's hold would be postponed until July 30th so that divers could seal nine leaking valves first. According to Mr. Balilo, despite the bad weather, divers were trying to seal these valves on July 29th to prevent further oil leaks.

The MT Terra Nova oil tanker sank off the coast of Limay town in Bataan province on July 25, killing one crew member and putting the Philippines at risk of its worst oil spill ever. Mr. Balilo said the leaked oil has now reached the coastline of Hagonoy City, about 40 km northwest of Manila. Coast Guard cleanup teams have been deployed to the area to spray oil dispersants. However, the extent of the damage to the beach caused by the oil spill is still unknown.

The coast guard has warned that a full oil leak would cause an "environmental disaster." The agency has also urged fishermen to temporarily stop fishing in Manila Bay to avoid consuming contaminated fish.

The shipwrecks occurred amidst heavy rains under the influence of Typhoon Gaemi, combined with monsoon winds hitting Manila and surrounding areas. The Philippines has faced numerous oil spills in the past. In 2023, Philippine authorities spent months dealing with the sinking of a ship carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil off the coast of Mindoro Island in the central part of the country, polluting beaches in the area and severely impacting the fishing and tourism industries.

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