Race against time to clear oil spill in Philippines as Typhoon Gaemi wreaks havoc in Asia

The Philippines is bracing for the “worst case scenario” as the country's coast guard raced to contain an oil spill just a few miles off its capital, Manila.

The Philippines is bracing for the “worst case scenario” as the country's coast guard raced to contain an oil spill just a few miles off its capital, Manila.

The MT Terra Nova was carrying 370,000 gallons of industrial fuel when it departed early Thursday from Limay, Bataan, a port town across the bay from Manila. Barely 4 miles away from the shore, the 270-foot-long tanker sank after encountering choppy seas, the coast guard said in a statement Friday.

The crew tried to steer the ship back to the port, but could not prevent it from sinking. One crew member was killed, the statement said. Sixteen other crew members were rescued.

“We are still preparing for the worst-case scenario to address the potential negative impact to the marine environment,” coast guard Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said in a statement Friday, as authorities raced against time to “avoid a marine environment catastrophe.”

He added that an oil slick, which could be spilling from the engine, was already stretching for more than 2 miles across the bay.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/oil-spill-manila-philippines-typhoon-gaemi-havoc-rcna163771

---