Philippine authority requests to siphon oil from sunken ship
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Philippines has declared that the sunken site of general cargo ship Fortuner is so far safe for marine life, however the Talisay city government wants the remaining oil to be siphoned from the vessel to prevent potential damage.
The Fortuner sank off the shoreline of Talisay City in the Philippines on Sunday, and it still carriers nearly 4,000 liters of fuel, raising environmental concerns.
“We don’t want another disaster to happen. They have to siphon the oil,” said Alvin Santillana, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Santillana will meet the owner of the vessel to get a commitment to siphon the oil from the vessel. “We have to put pressure on them to prevent environmental damage,” Santillana said.
According to Marine Environment Protection Unit (MEPU) of the Philippine Coast Guard, the oil was immediately contained and the vessel’s service tank was also sealed after the incident.
The vessel is owned and operated by Cebu-based Seen Sam Shipping.