MANILA, Philippines - Some 499,000 liters of bunker fuel spilled into the waters of Iloilo after the hull of a barge owned by the National Power Corp. (Napocor) was damaged during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday.
PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said the oil spill has spread over the two-kilometer stretch of the coast of Iloilo.
Based on initial information, the Napocor barge was stationed in the town of Estancia, one of the areas hit hard by Yolanda.
The vessel drifted toward the rocky portion of Barangay Botongan and damaged its hull.
Balilo said the PCG station in Iloilo was informed of the incident only on Nov. 10 as power was cut in the area.
The PCG dispatched a team from the Marine Environment Protection Unit (MEPU) for the cleanup operation.