Sunken Oil Tanker Located off Philippines Coast

Voice of America
21 Mar 2023, 23:35 GMT+10

An oil tanker that has been leaking fuel since sinking last month off the coast of the central Philippines has been located.

Humerlito Dolor, the governor of Oriental Mindoro province, said Tuesday that the Princess Empress was found by an underwater robot donated by Japan. He said photos taken by the robot will help determine the tanker's condition and what steps need to be taken to plug the leaks.

The MT Princess Empress was carrying about 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank on February 28. Officials say thousands of hectares of coral reefs, mangroves and seaweed could be affected by the spill.

The Philippines has sought assistance from the United States and Japan to contain and clean up the spill.

Authorities have imposed bans on fishing and swimming in affected areas, putting the livelihoods of many residents at risk.

Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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