Philippine oil tanker sinks, raising fears of major oil spill in Manila Bay

A Philippine oil tanker sank in Manila Bay early Thursday after encountering huge waves, leaving a crewman dead and 16 others rescued in a late-night operation by the coast guard. The force was also assessing whether the vessel was leaking oil in what could be a major spill that could reach the bustling capital.

The tanker Terra Nova left Bataan province en route to the central province of Iloilo with about 1.4 million litres (370,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil stored in watertight tanks when it got buffeted by huge waves and took on water. The crew struggled to steer the tanker back to port but it eventually sank shortly after midnight, coast guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Armando Balilo said, citing statements from surviving crew members.

The sinking followed days of monsoon rains, exacerbated by a passing offshore typhoon, that caused landslides and floodings across the archipelago, leaving at least 22 people dead and displacing more than half a million people.

An aerial survey spotted an oil spill about 3.7 kilometres long near the rough seawaters where the tanker sank but that may have come from the fuel intended to power the tanker's engine, not the much greater amount of fuel the Terra Nova was carrying as cargo, Balilo said.

The coast guard shipBRP Melchora Aquinowas in the waters where the tanker sank, more than sixkilometres from Bataan province's coast, to search for the last missing crewman, whose body was later retrieved from the waters, and to carry out an initial assessment of the tanker's fuel oil cargo, Balilo told an online news conference.

He said that the coast guard was bracing to contain a possible major oil spill.

"There's a big danger that Manila would be affected, its shorelines, if the fuel leaks because this happened within Manila Bay. It's part of the contingency we're preparing for," Balilo said. "The effect on the marine environment would not be good."

Last major spill harmed reefs, marine life

Balilo later said the oil tanker sank at a relatively shallow depth of 34 metres, based on an initial assessment, and raised the possibility that its fuel oil cargo could be siphoned off by special ships in a delicate operation that could take about a week.

"Siphoning will not be very technical and can be done quickly to protect the vicinity waters of Bataan and Manila Bay against environmental, social, economic, financial and political impacts," Balilo said.

He did not say if the tanker has been located on the sea floor and did not specify the status of its fuel oil cargo.

Balilo compared the magnitude of the possible oil spill to one caused by the sinking of another Philippine oil tanker, which was carrying much less fuel oil cargo, in February last year off Oriental Mindoro province north of Manila. That spill took about three months to contain, caused massive damage to coral reefs and mangroves in a region known for its rich biodiversity, and affected tens of thousands of fishermen and beach resorts in at least six provinces.

Manila's shoreline is a major tourism and business hub, where the main seaport, a historic public park, the U.S. Embassy and upscale hotels and restaurants are located. Land reclamation efforts are also underway in the bay to create space for entertainment and tourism complexes with casinos. The bay for years has been notorious for its pollution but famous for its picturesque sunsets.

The United States and Japan helped the Philippines with the last major oil spill's massive cleanup and rehabilitation efforts.