ABOUT 400 tonnes of oil were discharged into the ocean after the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marina Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal on the 14th of June.
Vox Maxima reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control which led to the maritime accident.
Popular destination getaway Sentosa Island, home to luxury beach resorts, announced it has achieved good progress in its cleanup efforts, with more than 140,000 kilograms of oil-soaked sand removed from the Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches since the 15th of June.
Large amounts of oil deposits on the beach at East Coast Park and the beaches at Tanah Merah were also removed as of June 20, according to Singaporean authorities.
Additionally, a huge portion of oily sand was removed from three Singapore islands – St. John’s, Lazarus and Kusu – as well as in Sentosa’s Siloso beach.
The challenging and time-consuming task has been going on for almost two weeks now.
Meanwhile, Malaysia has initiated a clean-up effort on the 21st of June after the oil spill reached the coasts of Johor.
Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister said they will look into the demands of fishermen affected by the oil spill from Singapore.
Legal experts warned that investigation behind the massive oil spill could take months to finish and could lead to criminal charges.
