Philippines races to contain oil spill after tanker capsizes in Manila Bay

Fears grow of a large oil spill after tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of fuel capsizes off the coast of Manila.

A Philippine-flagged tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel has capsized off the coast of the Philippines’s capital, Manila, resulting in the disappearance of one crew member and prompting fears of the worst oil spill in the country’s history.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said 16 of the 17 crew members were rescued after the MT Terra Nova went down on Thursday morning, amid heavy rains and rough seas fuelled by Typhoon Gaemi.

A search is under way for the missing sailor.

He added that there “is already an oil spill” but strong winds and high waves were hampering a response.

The Philippine Coast Guard said an aerial survey showed an oil slick stretching about 3.7km (2.3 miles) in the busy waterway and being driven by strong waves.

“We are racing against time and we will try to do our best to contain it immediately and stop the fuel from leaking,” said Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, the spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard.

If all the fuel carried by the ship were to leak, it could become the worst oil spill in the country’s history, he said.

The waters where the ship sank are close to Manila, he noted, adding that there was a “big danger” the spill could reach the capital. “That’s part of the contingencies that we are preparing for,” he said.

A photo released by the coastguard showed the MT Terra Nova almost entirely submerged in rough seas.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has meanwhile ordered the environment ministry to assess the damage and the government said the ministry’s chief was on her way to the coastal town closest to where the ship capsized.

An investigation is also under way if the sinking is related to Typhoon Gaemi, which on Wednesday flooded swaths of the capital Manila and surrounding towns.

At least 14 people have died from the typhoon and monsoon rains, according to government data, and officials said the toll could go up.

LSEG Eikon’s data shows Terra Nova has a deadweight tonnage of 1,415 tonnes and was headed to the central province of Iloilo.

Last year, oil tanker MT Princess Empress was carrying about 800,000 litres of industrial fuel when it capsized on February 28 and eventually sank, causing an oil spill which took three months to clean up and hit tourist towns.