Philippines oil spill: Residents report nausea, dizziness in affected villages

Dozens of people are falling sick in coastal villages in the Philippines after a major oil spill from a sunken tanker.

The MT Princess Empress tanker was carrying 800,000 litres of oil when it sank off the coast of the central Oriental Mindoro province last week.

That oil has since reached the shores of several nearby fishing villages, coating beaches in black sludge.

Residents have reported experiencing cramps, vomiting and dizziness.

Clean-up workers deployed to the affected village of Pola have also reported feeling ill, local media reported.

Philippines authorities have declared a state of calamity for the affected areas in the province and imposed a fishing ban until the spill is cleaned up.

But the ban has a huge impact on the livelihoods of many locals in the area. More than 18,000 fishermen across 60 villages have been barred from the water, local authorities said.

Philippines’ tourism ministry has also raised concerns about the spill tainting waters at popular diving destinations including the Verde Island passage and Apo Reef in Mindoro and World War Two shipwrecks in Palawan

Some 36,000 hectares (88,958 acres) of coral reef, mangroves and sea-grass are also at risk from the spill, marine biologists say.

Oil can kill corals or impede their growth. It can also poison or suffocate wildlife, which further disrupts food chains and ecosystems.

The Philippines Coast Guard has been trying to contain the spill for over a week -since the ship sank on 28 February. They have also deployed oil spill booms and sprayed chemicals in efforts to control the spread.

Authorities said on Monday they believed they had located the ship, which had moved from the spot it sank at last week.

The MT Princess Empress was carrying about 800,000 litres (211,338 gallons) of industrial fuel oil when it went down in rough seas.

It is not yet clear what caused the Philippine-flagged vessel to sink. All 20 of its crew were rescued by a passing cargo ship before the vessel went down.

Experts say authorities are verifying how much oil is left inside the tanker, and how to pump the remainder out and prevent further leaks.

The tanker’s owner, RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., has contracted two local agencies for the clean up.