Philippines Warns Against Oil Slick After Fuel Ship Sinking

The Philippine authority warned on Sunday that an oil slick is threatening coasts in the central region, after a fuel bunker ship sank off two days earlier. Parts of the coasts of Guimaras, Iloilo City and Negros Occidental would be polluted by the oil slick, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Western Visayas said in a statement. The ship was carrying two million liters of bunker fuel, according to the OCD. Captain Luis Tuason of the Philippine Coast Guard in Iloilo City, reported that MV Solar I chartered by Petron Corp.sank amid strong waves 30 nautical miles southwest of Iloilo City on Friday afternoon, with two crew members still missing. The Coast Guard has mobilized the oil spill combat teams with the assistance of Petron Corp., a major fuel company in the country, Tuason said. "We have sent teams to assess the damage and start the clean-up operation early tomorrow morning to minimize the effects of spilt oil," Tuason added.