Sunken ship causing Philippines oil leak

A sunken passenger vessel has resulted in an oil leak in the Philippines. The oil in water has now begun to spread to some of the aquacultural areas within the province of Cebu, as authorities struggle to contain the leak and find those that are still missing from the boat.

The St. Thomas Aquinas vessel had a total of 120,000 litres of bunker or crude fuel and 20,000 litres of diesel fuel in its tanks. On top of this, its engines were also using around 20,000 litres of lube oil at the time of the sinking. The vessel sank quickly when it collided with a cargo ship. The oil sheen from the ship has been seen to be spreading towards more areas, risking wildlife and local trade.

According to the Department of Environmental and Natural resources (DENR) in Central Visayas, some 328 hectares of mangroves have been severely damaged by the oil leaking from the sunken vessel. The damage is spread across 12 barangays in Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova. It is expected that a heavy fine will be awarded to the shipping company responsible for the passenger ferry.

So far a definitive report of all the damage caused has not been completed, as divers are unable to fully access the leak. However, it is estimated that around 1,750 local fisherman throughout coastal villages have been affected by the disaster. The majority of the fisherfolk depend upon the ability to catch fish for their livelihood.

As well as the vast amounts of oil that are affecting local trade and wildlife, so far 52 of the passengers aboard the 2GO Travel ship have been confirmed dead, with another 68 missing. Of the 870 passengers and crew that were aboard the vessel, 750 have been found alive, but many are in critical condition. Searches are ongoing for the missing people, who are feared to be trapped inside the ship, which is currently around 100 feet underwater.