Asia/Pacific News
Typhoon-damaged Barge Leaks 200,000 Litres of Bunkers
A barge damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) has leaked 200,000 litres of bunker fuel, and about 150,000 litres of the fuel has washed ashore on the coastline of the Philippine town of Estancia, international Philippine-focused news site GMA News reports.
Citing reports from the Philippine Coast Guard, the site reports that the fuel spilled from the Philippine National Power Corp. (NAPOCOR) Power Barge 103, which was moored when the storm hit, had its bottom hull damaged when it drifted into a rocky shoreline.
The barge's crew used 100-meter spill booms and a submersible pump and sprayed oil dispersant, while the Coast Guard Estancia Sub-Station set up oil booms.
The Philippine Information Agency reported Tuesday that the spill was "contained" but had contaminated shore lines.
It quoted Coast Guard Commander Commodore Athelo Ybanez saying authorities were looking into bunkers remaining on the barge.
"The power barge has a remaining fuel cargo of 1.2 million liters of bunker oil, the type which is very sticky and difficult to disperse," he said.
Another report by news site ABS-CBN News put the total amount of fuel carried at the barge at 2.4 million litres and said that 350,000 litres had spilled.
