Singapore and Malaysia battling the oil spill by Zuzana Zelenakova

Tuesday collision of two ships near Singapore coast resulted in a 5,000 tonne oil spill. The cosmopolitan city, which is considered one of the top financial centers in the world, now faces one of its worst disasters. Malaysian tanker that was carrying about 62,000 tonnes of crude oil and a bulk carrier registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines collided just before dawn in Singapore Strait which goes along one of the busiest ports in the world. As Singapore´s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) informed, the oil spill was about four kilometers long and one kilometer wide. “Efforts to contain and clean up the oil spill are ongoing,” MPA said. About 20 vessel! s and 200 men both from Malaysia and Singapore have been involved in the clean up efforts. According to the MPA the air traffic in the area is not to be affected by the spill. "We are very sorry for the incident," said Paul Lovell, a spokesman for AET Tanker Holdings, which owns the Malaysian registered tanker. "It was an incident caused not by us hitting something, but by something hitting us. Not that that excuses it." He also added that dispersants were used successfully to contain the oil spill. As far as environmental situation is concerned, Singapore ecologists are still waiting for the reports that would enable them to assess the damage. “If they manage to contain it, then it won’t affect wildlife that much,” said Louis Ng, executive director of activist group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society. "Oil booms are being placed around the leaked cargo to contain the spill," said AET in a statement. Ho Yew Weng from disaster management firm Oi! l Spill response Singapore added that the situation is not jus! t as bad as it seems at first sight for the light crude will evaporate rather quickly in hot tropical climate.

related story (sgx17385): http://www.france24.com/en/20100525-collision-causes-oil-spi...

by Zuzana Zelenakova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

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