On February 28, a Filipino fuel ship partially sank in the Philippine seas, according to officials, as Manila tried to stop a diesel leak several kilometers long.
The Princess Empress was transporting 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil from Bataan province (near the capital Manila) to Iloilo province in the center area when its engine overheated, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. According to preliminary investigations, the vessel drifted into waters near Balingawan Point on Mindoro Island because of the rough sea until it was half-submerged.
The Coast Guard said it was monitoring the diesel spill but found no industrial fuel oil from the ship’s storage at sea. Another ship rescued 20 Princess Empress crew members. According to the Coast Guard, the vessels were in “excellent physical condition.”
The coast guard reported in a separate statement that the leak was located near the destroyed ship, which was 5 kilometers long and 500 meters broad. To handle this situation, an oil spill prevention device will be deployed.
