Oil slick from sunken cargo vessel contained

DAVAO CITY — The oil slick oozing out from a cargo vessel that capsized off the coast of Baganga, Davao Oriental was immediately contained, thus preventing it from spreading to nearby coastal areas, the Coast Guard said.

The vessel, M/V Mike, owned by the Cebu-based Matsya Shipping Corp., was carrying 1,084.81 cubic meters of assorted round logs and was on its way to Zamboanga City when it sank in the Baganga Bay a few hours after it had left the town’s port last Wednesday.

Coast Guard Southern Mindanao chief Edmundo Tan told The STAR that a team sent to the sunken ship’s location found that at least five liters of bunker oil were coming out of the vessel every hour.

However, the oil that had spilled out did not come from the vessel’s fuel tank, which contained 18,000 liters of oil, but was actually used oil from the bilge, Tan said.

He said the oil slick was immediately contained with an improvised boom made up of a chain of connected round logs.

The vessel reportedly sank at a depth of 25 fathoms off the Balucin port in Baganga.

Tan said the vessel was navigating Baculin Point in Baganga Bay when one of its crewmen noticed that it was already listing.

"According to the account of the crewmembers, it was at that point when they noticed the vessel to be listing that the shipmaster decided to take shelter at the Baculin anchorage to adjust the ballast tank but still the ship continued to sink," he said.

Tan said all the 20 crewmembers, including the shipmaster, were accounted for after the incident and were in good physical condition.

"It could be possible that the way the logs were placed caused the listing," he said.

Tan said the logs, which M/V Mike was carrying, were inspected before the vessel left Baganga and were found to have valid documents from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. — Edith Regalado