CLEAN-UP efforts are still underway after an incident between two maritime vessels in Singapore resulted in a massive oil leak that spread to some famous beaches in the country and threatened wildlife.
Efforts to clean up the aftermath of the maritime incident have been underway since Friday after the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal.
Vox Maxima reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control before hitting the other vessel, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
Authorities considered the incident a case of allision which happens when a moving object strikes another stationary object.
The allision caused the Singaporean tanker to release about 400 tonnes of low-sulfur fuel into the sea after being hit.
Rescuers race against time to contain the oil spill after it killed two oil-drenched kingfishers and spread to nearby beaches, forcing closures, hence, affecting tourism activities and businesses dependent on it.
It’s not yet clear how long it will take for cleanup efforts to be completed.
“We saw the news what happened, which is a very unfortunate event, totally unexpected. The result is sad and I think it will take a while before the clean-up is completed,” 1st local resident said.
“I myself want to come and volunteer. There are a lot of volunteers also are coming and trying to help the government. I’m sure they’ll fix it,” 2nd local resident said.
“Oil spills are probably the worst-case scenario that we can face. The oil response team in Singapore acted fairly quickly, relatively, but whatever has spread out before they got to the scene — that will have a direct impact on what we see here,” Sek Chuan Chua, marine biologist said.
Legal experts said the investigation into the collision could take months to complete and warned that criminal charges could result from the probe.
