Oil Spill from Terra Nova Tanker Expands to Near Manila

The oil spill resulting from the Terra Nova tanker, which capsized and sank in the Philippines last Thursday, has spread extensively, reaching the waters around the capital, Manila.

The oil slick now extends over 50 kilometers, with local media depicting scenes of blackened seas along the southwest coast of Luzon, the Philippines' largest island. Efforts to contain the spill have been complicated by the sinking of a second, smaller tanker in nearby waters on Saturday, which also created a minor oil slick.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that divers have successfully sealed most of the leaking valves on the Terra Nova and are nearing the point where siphoning operations can commence.

The Terra Nova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank amid stormy conditions off Bataan on July 25, resulting in the death of one crew member. Approximately 300,000 liters of oil are expected to be siphoned from the tanker over the course of a week and transferred to the Helena Marie, the Terra Nova's sister vessel.

This incident follows a similar event last year when the product tanker Princess Empress sank, releasing 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil into Philippine waters.