Tanker with 1,500 tonnes of oil sinks off Philippines

• Tanker with 1,500 tonnes of oil sinks off Philippines
• Sixteen crew members of the Philippine-flagged MT Terra Nova were rescued, while one remains missing
• Strong winds and high waves, exacerbated by Typhoon Gaemi, hindered response efforts
• MT Terra Nova was en route to Iloilo in central Philippines when it sank, leaving an oil spill stretching several kilometres

Tanker with 1,500 tonnes of oil sinks off Philippines

A tanker carrying nearly 1.5 million litres of industrial fuel capsized and sank off the coast of the Philippine capital on Thursday, causing a significant oil spill. Sixteen crew members of the Philippine-flagged MT Terra Nova were rescued, while one remains missing, according to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

Bautista said the oil spill was detected, but strong winds and high waves, exacerbated by Typhoon Gaemi, hindered response efforts. The typhoon had already caused severe flooding in Metro Manila and its suburbs the previous day and made landfall in Taiwan, resulting in three deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The MT Terra Nova was en route to Iloilo in central Philippines when it sank, leaving an oil spill stretching several kilometres. Authorities are investigating whether the bad weather contributed to the incident. 

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo emphasised the urgency of containing the spill, warning that if all the oil leaked, it would be the largest spill in Philippine history. He noted the potential threat to Manila Bay, which hosts busy shipping lanes, shopping malls, casino resorts, and fishing communities.