Bad weather disrupts Terra Nova siphoning operations anew

MANILA, Philippines — For the fifth day in a row, bad weather disrupted efforts to drain the remaining industrial fuel from sunken motor tanker Terra Nova.

According to an advisory from the Philippine Coast Guard, the siphoning operation remained suspended yesterday “due to strong current and heavy weather conditions at ground zero.”

The PCG said that as of 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 5, salvage company Harbor Star had “transferred over 402,000 liters of recovered oily waste” from the sunken vessel.

“Approximately 1,218,000 liters of the recovered oil waste were already at the Marilao treatment facility,” the PCG added.

Yesterday was the fifth day that the siphoning operation was stalled due to stormy weather conditions brought by Storm Enteng and the southwest monsoon.

The  Terra Nova sank near Limay town in Bataan on July 25, killing the vessel’s second mate. Seventeen of its crew survived the incident.

The vessel was sailing to Bataan when it encountered rough waters amid the onslaught of Typhoon Carina.