Large oil spill spreads near shore in Philippines' Manila Bay, fishing banned

Published January 13, 2015

A large oil spill from an underwater pipe has contaminated waters in Manila Bay near the Philippine capital and prompted authorities to ban fishing.

The coast guard said Friday that about 500,000 liters (132,000 gallons) of diesel fuel formed a red slick stretching some 300 square kilometers (116 square miles) near four coastal towns in Cavite province.

The mayor of Rosario town said he declared a state of calamity to speed up assistance to fishermen and their families.

The national disaster agency said the slick has spread about 3 kilometers (1.7 miles) from the shore. Authorities have deployed oil containment booms and experts are checking the impact on marine life.

Petron Corp., owner of the diesel that spilled, says it is cooperating with authorities but did not acknowledge any wrongdoing.

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