Manila, July 8, (dpa/GNA) – A cargo vessel collided with a dredging ship in waters off the Philippine capital on Thursday, triggering fears of an oil spill, the coastguard said.
The MV Palawan Pearl collided with the Cyprus-flagged vessel BKM 104 in Manila Bay, about 100 metres off the shore of Baseco Beach, before dawn, the coastguard said.
No crew members were hurt in the accident, it added.
The Palawan Pearl was carrying 3,000 litres of diesel oil, and 60 litres of engine oil and five litres of bilge oil, according to a crew member.
An oil sheen was seen around the Palawan Pearl, which was halfway-submerged after the accident, the coastguard said.
The agency’s maritime environmental protection force has been dispatched to lay out oil spill booms around the vessel.
According to an initial investigation, the cargo vessel had just left a wharf in the Baseco area when its skipper noticed BKM 104 travelling at a speed of 10 knots towards its left side.
“MV Palawan Pearl immediately manoeuvered to avoid BKM 104, but [the dredging ship] crashed twice on the left side of the cargo vessel [which] almost sank in the water,” the coastguard said.
All 18 crew members of the Palawan Pearl were unharmed, while authorities were coordinating with the dredging ship to get more info about its crew.
The BKM 104, which suffered only minor damage in the collision, was conducting dredging and other land development activities in the area, the coastguard said.
GNA