Ship sinks off Zambales, spills oil in Subic waters

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Land Craft Transport (LCT) carrying tons of steel materials had sunk off the coast of Sitio Agusuin, Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales on Saturday, spilling oil in Subic Bay waters.

Officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Seaport Department reportedly tried to implement a news block out on the incident.

The overloaded LCT, which was carrying tons of steel materials for a port project of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Corp., a Korean shipbuilding company, sunk at about 4:30 a.m.

SBMA Seaport Department’s Head Safety Officer Gregorio Royol said it has already furnished a report of the oil spill to the SBMA Public Relation Office but employees denied having received the report.

The report said there were 24 sub-contractors working in the area which use dilapidated and worn-out equipment that cause safety accidents.

Last week, three contractual workers died at the construction site, two of whom died because of the lack of gadgets and the implementation of safety measures.

Meanwhile, fishermen near the area fear a possible fishkill as the immediate effect of the oil spill like what happened in two towns in Batangas City.