CONTAINMENT Policemen in Barangay La Virgen, Badoc, Ilocos Norte, assist in cleanup operations after cargo vessel MSCI 1 ran aground, causing an oil spill. —BADOC POLICE STATION PHOTO
DAGUPAN CITY, PANGASINAN, Philippines — Authorities have launched extensive containment and cleanup operations following an oil spill caused by a cargo vessel that ran aground along the shoreline of Barangay La Virgen in Badoc, Ilocos Norte on Monday.
Police Master Sgt. Jackychan Cajigal, investigator of the Badoc Municipal Police Station, said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is still assessing the extent of the oil spill and its potential environmental impact.
In a statement, the Badoc police said the landing craft transport (LCT) MSCI 1, which was carrying construction aggregates bound for Calayan Island, encountered rough sea conditions during the predawn hours of Monday.
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Rescued
According to the vessel’s captain, strong waves flooded the ship’s ballast tanks, causing it to list dangerously and prompting an emergency beaching maneuver to prevent the vessel from capsizing and to ensure the safety of its crew.
All 15 crew members were safely rescued through a joint operation involving local residents, personnel from the Badoc and Sinait Municipal Police Stations, the Maritime Police, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company.
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Authorities discovered the oil spill around 3 p.m. on Monday. The PCG immediately deployed oil spill containment booms to prevent the slick from spreading and to minimize damage to the coastal environment.
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A multiagency cleanup effort has since been organized, involving the Badoc local government, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Maritime Police, and the PCG.
The agencies are conducting shoreline cleanup operations while continuing efforts to contain the spill and protect nearby coastal resources.
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Local authorities said monitoring operations remain ongoing as environmental officials work to determine the full extent of the contamination and its impact on marine and coastal ecosystems. INQ
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