Suspected Spill Spotted as Philippine Oil Tanker Sinks

A Philippine motor tanker sank off the country’s western coast on Tuesday, February 28, potentially spilling some of its 800,000 liters of oil into the sea, the coast guard and local media reported.

The MT Princess Empress was traveling from Bataan to Iloilo with 20 crew on board when it experienced engine trouble off Balingawan Point, the Philippine Coast Guard reported early on Tuesday.

Aerial surveillance revealed a “suspected oil spill” around 5 km long and 500 meters wide, the coast guard said.

The crew were rescued by a foreign cargo vessel, and a marine protection unit was dispatched to contain the possible spill, Rappler reported. Credit: Philippine Coast Guard via Storyful

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