“AN oil tanker transporting 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil submerged off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro yesterday morning, the Philippine Coast Guard reported.”
In a statement, the PCG said the 20 crewmembers of the ill-fated MT Princess Empress were rescued, adding there are no signs of spillage of the vessel’s cargo.
The vessel, coming from Bataan, was on its way to Iloilo when it figured in the mishap, the PCG said.
“Initial investigation revealed that the distressed motor tanker encountered engine trouble due to overheating,” the PCG said.
“It then drifted towards the vicinity waters off Balingawan Point due to rough sea conditions until it became half-submerged,” the PCG also said.
A transiting foreign vessel, MV Efes, rescued the crewmembers who are all in “good physical condition,” the PCG said.
The PCG said it has deployed BRP Melchora Aquino to the area and ordered the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog “to provide necessary assistance and assess the vicinity waters for possible traces of an oil spill.”
PCG communications officer Joy Gumatay said the vessel is owned and operated by RDC Reield Marines Services.
“We monitored spillage of diesel fuel (used by the vessel), not industrial fuel oil (cargo),” Gumatay said, adding: “We are waiting for further info as to the estimated liters (of diesel that spilled).”
Gumatay said a PCG team “is set to install an oil spill boom to control the spillage.”
