Oil spill in the Philippines

on February 28, the Philippine Coast Guard reported an oil spill from the oil tanker MT Princess Empress that capsized earlier in the day off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. The spill did not involve the 800,000 litres of crude oil that the tanker was ferrying from the port of Limay in Bataan to the Port of Iloilo.

Reports are saying the fuel leaked from the stricken vessel has created a 500-metre wide slick and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it is also monitoring the area for any potential harm to life and livelihoods due to its distance from the shoreline.

The MT Princess Empress sailed from Bataan en route to Iloilo with 20 crew members on board, they were safely rescued and brought to shore.

The submerged vessel is continuously being monitored by officials.