Hundreds evacuated after oil spill in central Philippines
In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, its personnel provide boom to contain an oil spill from a barge in Iloilo, central Philippines on Saturday July 4, 2020. Photo/AP
More than 400 people have been evacuated from a coastal village in the central Philippines after about 250,000 liters (66,000 gallons) of bunker fuel spilled from a power-generating barge into the sea, an official said Monday.
“The stench was so bad we have to move people away to two schools and last night there was a request for a third evacuation site,” Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas said by telephone.
The spill began Friday when an accidental explosion on the barge blasted a hole in its hull. There were no reported injuries.
The accident has not affected the power supply to the commercial city of about half a million people because it has other power sources, Trenas said.
The coast guard said it is investigating and charges may be filed against the owners of the barge if needed.Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browser Disable in this text field Edit Edit in Ginger Edit in Ginger × Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browser Disable in this text field Edit Edit in Ginger Edit in Ginger ×
Must-Watch Video
Stay updated with our news