SAN ANTONIO, Zambales: A barge carrying over 11,000 metric tonnes (MT) of coal ran aground in Masinloc Bay in this province, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed on Friday (Oct 25).
In a phone interview, Euphraim Jayson Diciano, chief of the PCG Zambales, said their Masinloc sub-station received a report from Bantay Dagat at noon on Thursday about the incident.
Although the PCG initially attempted to launch a rescue operation, it had to be aborted due to bad weather.
According to the initial report, the barge Katapatan 2 sought shelter approximately 800m from the shoreline of San Salvador Island as Severe Tropical Storm Katherine brought strong winds and rough seas.
The boat was carrying more than 11,200 MT of coal from Semirara, Antique.
By 6pm on the same day, the barge ran aground. It is now situated about 400m from the island’s shore.
Residents reported the barge struck corals in a nearby fish sanctuary, and coal has begun spilling into the water.
“If the coal spill worsens, it will pose a significant challenge for us, as we have limited experience in handling such incidents,” Diciano said.
He added: “Coal is a raw material that must be collected manually, unlike oil, which can emulsify or dissipate on its own.” - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
