GuimarasSolar 1, a tanker carrying around 2 million liters of oil sank off the Philippines coast 11 days ago and is continuing to leak according to coastgaurd officials.

While the head of the Philippine Coastgaurd said that more oil had leaked from the sunken tanker overnight, a spokesman from Petron Corp said that their aerial surveys have confirmed that there is no more seepage.

The widening slick has already damaged about 200 miles of the Guimaras island coastline, and is now threatening fishing grounds.

Sludge and dead wildlife have been washing up on the beaches, causing damage to reefs, marine reserves and tourism.

Villagers from the neighboring Negros and Panay islands have erected makeshift booms to hold the oily sludge back.

In response to the Philippines government's appeal for international assistance with the clean-up, teams of experts from Japan and the US are expected to assess the damage.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the government needed to focus its energy and resources in addressing the problem and that it was making "tactical decisions" on the clean-up.

The tanker was on its way to a power plant on the southern island of Mindanao when it sank. Of the 20 crew members, 2 are still missing.

Officials are trying to decide whether it would be best to refloat the vessel or to suck out the remaining fuel.

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August 22, 2006 / category: Crises / link / comments (0)

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