"Major Environmental Crisis" - Oil Leak Begins in Manila Bay!

The Philippine Coast Guard indicated today, Saturday, that "a shipment of industrial fuel oil aboard a tanker, which sank in stormy weather in Manila Bay, has started to leak in small quantities." Authorities are racing against time to begin a delicate underwater operation to retrieve the highly toxic shipment from the still-intact sunken vessel, in order to avoid a major environmental crisis. The 65-meter-long tanker, which sank, was carrying approximately 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil stored in sealed tanks when it was hit by huge waves. It appears to have suffered a mechanical failure, allowing water to enter after leaving Bataan Province west of Manila on an internal journey. The crew faced difficulties directing the tanker to the port, and it sank early Thursday.