Philippines searches for 1 missing crew of submerged oil tanker

MANILA, July 25 (Xinhua) — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel are searching for a missing crew of an oil tanker that sank off Bataan province, west of Manila, before dawn on Thursday, a PCG spokesperson said.
Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said the vessel, Motor Tanker Terra Nova, carrying 1.4 million litters of industrial fuel oil, capsized and eventually sank 3.6 nautical miles east of Limay town around 1:10 a.m. local time Thursday.
Balilo said the vessel was sailing south to Iloilo province in the central Philippines when the accident happened.
Balilo said the Coast Guardsmen rescued 16 of the 17 crew, four of whom were injured. “The search and rescue operation for the missing crew is ongoing,” he added.
According to Balilo, a marine environmental protection team has been sent to the area to combat oil spills, and an investigation is underway to find the cause of the accident. ■