Cargo, utility vessels collide off South Harbor Anchorage area —PCG

A cargo vessel and a foreign utility vessel collided on Thursday morning off the waters of South Harbor Anchorage area in Manila, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

In a statement, the PCG said MV Palawan Pearl and BKM 104 collided at around 2:10 a.m.

The MV Palawan Pearl is currently still half-submerged with “oil sheen” around the cargo vessel, according to the PCG.

Rexchel Fabrigas of MV Palawan Pearl said the oil storage tank of the vessel was filled with around 3,000 liters of diesel before the incident. It also carries a drum of diesel oil, 60 liters of engine oil, and five liters of bilge oil.

The vessel was 100 meters away from the Baseco Beach shoreline, the PCG told reporters in a message.

To control the spread of the oil, the PCG Marine Environmental Protection Command will place four segments of oil spill boom.

Meanwhile, the PCG said BKM 104 is a foreign utility vessel hired to conduct dredging and other land development activities in building the New Manila Airport.

No crew members of the two vessels were hurt in the incident, according to the PCG.

The PCG advised MV Palawan Pearl and BKM 104 to file a marine protest regarding the collision.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA News