Sunken oil tanker Princess Empress found in the Philippines
Philippine authorities announced the discovery of the tanker Princess Empress, which sank in the waters of Eastern Mindoro in late February, Reuters reports
The tanker was found by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle. Moreover, Tokyo sent a team of coast guards to help clean up the aftermath of the oil spill.
Over 151,000 local fishermen and tourism workers have lost their jobs due to the spill of fuel oil on board the tanker and pollution of the surrounding waters, according to the Philippine Department of Public Welfare and Development.
It is known that the government has allocated about $2.12m for the programme, under which 18,700 fishermen will receive cash benefits.
On February 28th, a tanker carrying 800,000 litres of fuel oil sank in the province of Oriental Mindoro, affecting a number of municipalities in the province, stretching for more than 6km. Experts underline that the state of emergency can cause enormous damage to the environment, including coral reefs and mangroves.
