March 11 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Philippines has requested help from Japan and the United States to contain the oil spill that occurred after the sinking of the oil tanker ‘Princess Empress’ ten days ago in Mindoro.
The ship was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel when a storm caused it to sink off the island of Mindoro, south of Manila. The hull is about 400 meters deep, so the Philippine government acknowledges that it does not have the capacity to reach the ship and stop the spill.
Japan has already sent coast guard personnel to support operations and “direct oil removal and control activities,” the Philippine Coast Guard has reported and the newspaper ‘Phil Star’ reports.
The spill is especially serious because it affects an area of great marine ecological value that has coral reefs, mangroves and algae that will be affected by the spill, as recognized by the Philippine Ministry of the Environment.
Crude oil has already been detected on beaches located more than 350 kilometers from the sinking site. Thousands of fishermen cannot fish by order of the authorities and bathing has also been prohibited.
