A Philippines-flagged tanker carrying 1.4 million litres (369,840 gallons) of industrial fuel has capsized off the coast of the Philippine capital, Manila, prompting fears of the worst oil spill in the country’s history.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said 16 of the 17 crew members were rescued after the MT Terra Nova went down on Thursday morning, amid heavy rains and rough seas due to Typhoon Gaemi.
One crew member was killed when the tanker capsized in Manila Bay, nearly 7km (4.3 miles) off Limay municipality in Bataan province, as it sailed to the central province of Iloilo.
Bautista said there “is already an oil spill” but strong winds and high waves were hampering the response.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said an aerial survey showed an oil slick stretching about 3.7km (2.3 miles) in the busy waterway and being driven by strong waves.
“We are racing against time and we will try to do our best to contain it immediately and stop the fuel from leaking,” PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said.
If all the fuel carried by the ship were to leak, it could become the worst oil spill in the country’s history, he said.
The waters where the ship sank are close to Manila, he noted, adding that there was a “big danger” the spill could reach the capital. “That’s part of the contingencies that we are preparing for,” he said.
Reporting from Manila, Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Lo said the authorities fear that strong currents could spread the oil towards Manila and nearby fishing communities.
A photo released by the coastguard showed the MT Terra Nova almost entirely submerged in rough seas.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has meanwhile ordered the environment ministry to assess the damage, and the government said the ministry’s chief was on her way to the coastal town closest to where the ship capsized.
An investigation is also under way if the sinking is related to Typhoon Gaemi, which on Wednesday flooded swaths of Manila and surrounding towns.
At least 14 people have died from the typhoon and monsoon rains, according to government data, and officials said the death toll could go up.
LSEG Eikon’s data shows Terra Nova has a deadweight tonnage of 1,415 tonnes.
Last year, the oil tanker MT Princess Empress was carrying about 800,000 litres (211,340 gallons) of industrial fuel when it capsized on February 28 and eventually sank, causing an oil spill which took three months to clean up and hit tourist towns.
