Transportation officials in the Philippines have reported that one person has gone missing after a locally-registered commercial oil tanker capsized and sank off Bataan province north of Manila in the early morning hours (local time) of Thursday, July 25.
Jaime Bautista, the country's Transportation Secretary, told reporters that the tanker was carrying 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel when the incident occurred at around 01:10. All but one of the 17-strong crew have been rescued and four of the survivors are receiving medical treatment, though the extent of their injuries has not been disclosed.
An oil slick estimated to be around 3.7 kilometres long has also been detected in the surrounding waters, prompting authorities to implement appropriate response measures.
Officials said the search and rescue (SAR) operation off Bataan was being undertaken even as the area was experiencing rough weather conditions caused by Typhoon Gaemi's movement out of the Philippine area of responsibility and northwards to Taiwan. The typhoon swept through Metro Manila and other parts of the country from the early morning to the late evening of Wednesday, July 24, leaving at least 14 people dead and a still undetermined extent of damages.
The Philippine Coast Guard said the tanker, which has been identified as the 65-metre-long Terra Nova, capsized approximately seven kilometres off the coast of Bataan's Limay municipality. The coast guard multi-role response vessel BRP Melchora Aquino and aerial assets have also been deployed to the area to assist in the SAR and spill cleanup efforts.
Coast guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo has assured that the fuel that had leaked was only "minimal" and had not come from the vessel's cargo tanks.
