POLA
\nA leaking oil tanker that sank in the Philippines three weeks ago has been found, officials said Tuesday, as the slick reached waters known for their rich marine life.
\nThe Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 liters (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil when it sank on February 28 off the central island of Mindoro, south of the capital Manila.
\nDiesel fuel and thick oil from the vessel have since contaminated the waters and beaches of Oriental Mindoro province and other islands.
\nThe tanker was found by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor told reporters.
\nIt is nearly 400 meters (1,300 feet) below the waves.
\nDolor said he received the first photos showing the exact location of the vessel on Tuesday morning.
\nThe national disaster agency said the ROV would assess the hull\u2019s condition before a decision was made about how to \u201ccontrol the spill from its source.\u201d
\nThe Philippines has sought assistance from several countries, including Japan, the United States and France, to help contain and clean up the slick.
\nThousands of hectares of coral reefs, mangroves and seaweed could be affected, officials have said.
\nOil spill booms made out of hay, human hair and other materials have been deployed to try to protect coastal waters that people in the fishing and tourism industries rely on for their livelihoods.
\nOil has been spotted as far away as Casian Island, off the north coast of the western island of Palawan, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southwest of where the tanker sank.
\nAs feared, oil has also drifted north to the Verde Island Passage \u2014 a busy sea lane between Mindoro and the Philippines\u2019 main island of Luzon.
\nEnvironment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga said previously that the area was \u201cglobally recognized\u201d for its marine biodiversity.
\nThe Philippine Coast Guard said clean-up operations on Monday removed oil from the shores of three villages on Verde Island, which is popular with divers.
\nOil also has been spotted further along the passage at Tingloy municipality on Maricaban Island, part of Batangas province.
\nResidents and coast guard personnel have been removing oil-coated seaweed and other debris from affected areas.
\nTens of thousands of people have been affected by the spill, with scores falling ill. The government is distributing food packs and other assistance.
\nAmong the hardest hit are fishermen, who have been ordered to stay on shore until they can fish safely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
POLA A leaking oil tanker that sank in the Philippines three weeks ago has been found, officials said Tuesday, as the slick reached waters known for their rich marine life. The Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 liters (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil when it sank on February 28 off the central island of Mindoro, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":321007,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-320981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n