Ship spills bunker oil off North Harbor

MANILA, Philippines - A passenger ship has contaminated with 50 liters of oil the waters off North Harbor in Manila, the Philippine Coast Guard said yesterday.

Lt. Cmdr. Arman Balilo, Coast Guard spokesman, said the oil spill from the M/V Princess of the Caribbean affected an area 80 meters long.

“Approximately 50 liters of bunker fuel oil spilled out from the portside or left side of the passenger vessel at the vicinity of Berth 4, Pier 12, North Harbor,” he said.

Balilo said the 3,767.93-gross ton Princess of the Caribbean belongs to the Phil Span Asia Carrier, the new name of Sulpicio Lines Inc.

Initial information reaching the Coast Guard headquarters showed that the oil spill from the Princess of the Caribbean was monitored at 11:30 a.m. of Oct. 6, he added.

Balilo said Edgar Suan, the ship’s third engineer was inspecting the bilge pump, when he noticed it was not properly closed.

“According to the chief engineer, the oil spill might have occurred due to the high pressure in the bilge pump,” he said.

Balilo said the ship’s crew cleaned up the oil spill within the ship. He said after an hour, the Coast Guard’s Marine Environmental Protection Unit arrived and supervised the clean up. The unit reported collecting two drums of oil, he added.