Oil spill seen near sunken ship off Batanes

A thick oil spill, measuring 1.5 to two nautical miles, has formed off Batanes province, near where a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel sank over the weekend. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said this was the initial finding of its air surveillance conducted over the area on Monday. "The oil spill’s southern tip is at a far distance of 140 nautical miles from the northern tip of Ilocos and is deemed to have no direct or significant threat to the country’s coastline and marine environment as big and strong waves and prevailing northeasterly winds could naturally disperse and cause the oil spill to evaporate," PCG said in a report posted on its website. The PCG said it will monitor nearby areas to ensure that the oil spill remains isolated. The PCG and the Taiwan Coast Guard will also continue to search for the 10 missing Chinese crew of the ill-fated Panamanian cargo vessel MV Hong Wei. The MV Hong Wei sank near Itbayat Island in Batanes on Friday. At least 14 of its crewmembers have been rescued. The investigation showed that two of the survivors are in the custody of the Taiwan Coast Guard after being rescued from the sea. As of Sunday evening, the other 12 survivors have been placed on board a passing Chinese cargo vessel, the MV Shun Tong, after rescued near the area where the ship sank. – VVP, GMANews.TV