In pics | Singapore intensifies clean up as rare oil spill prompts closure of public beach
Singapore intensifies clean up efforts after rare oil spill
A day after Singapore witnessed rare a oil spill which promoted the closure of beaches on the city-state's popular tourist destination Sentosa island the officials said they were intensifying efforts to mop up the fuel, reported Reuters, on Sunday (Jun 16).
How did this happen?
The oil spill spread from Pasir Panjang Terminal which is less than 10 kilometres away from the popular island after a Netherlands-flagged dredger struck a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel on Friday (Jun 14) afternoon.
However, in a statement on Saturday (Jun 15) officials in Singapore said that the vessel was no longer leaking oil.
Oil spill spreads along coast
In a statement, late Saturday, local authorities said that "due to the tidal current, the treated oil has landed along shorelines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier, and East Coast Park".
It added, that an oil sheen was also spotted in the waters surrounding Sister's Islands Marine Park, a 400,000 square meter marine protected area.
Sentosa island beaches closed
Signs reading "Beach closed until further notice. Stay out of the water" and "Oil slick spotted. Clean up in progress. Please stay clear of water" on the beach. A Reuters witness said that the oil-stained waters and sand of Tanjong Beach had been cordoned off.
Sentosa island, in a notice on its website, said waters of Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso beaches were closed for cleaning and swimming and sea activities were not allowed.
Image shows workers clearing the oil slick in plastic bags on Sentosa island's Tanjong Beach in Singapore on June 16, 2024.
Impact of the oil spill
The environmental impact of the oil spill was not immediately clear but local newspaper The Straits Times reported that fishermen were on alert for a spike in the number of fish deaths over the next few days.
However, local conservation group Marine Stewards, according to the Associated Press, said there were photos of dead fish, otters and kingfishers covered in oil slick.
Andrew Dixon, who runs a sustainable resort less than an hour away from Singapore told Reuters that oil spills in and around the city-state are rare.
The authorities need to enact tough penalties "around this sort of stuff so it doesn't happen," Dixon said. He added, "It’s just criminal."
Clean up efforts continue
On Sunday (Jun 16), workers in orange suits were seen scooping up sand in a clean-up operation at an empty beach in Sentosa as black water washed up on the oil-stained shore.
The officials have deployed 18 crafts for the clean-up efforts and laid close to 1,500-metre booms, temporary floating barriers to trap the oil spill.
"More will be laid over the next few days to prevent further spread of oil onto the shore, and facilitate the recovery of the trapped oil off the affected shorelines and lagoons to prevent them from going back to sea," said the local authorities in a statement, on Sunday.
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