July 19th, 2008
MV Ocean Papa
By: abs-cbn news
Residents of Culasi town in Antique province are worried over the possibility of contamination of toluene di-isocyanate coming from a capsized ship off the coast of the town.
M/V Ocean Papa sank off the coast of Culasi at the height of typhoon Frank (international codename Fengshen) and it was carrying 80 container vans of the toxic chemical. Residents said their livelihood, mainly fishing, has been affected by the incident, especially since the Philippine Coast Guard is still searching for the container vans. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the chemical is dangerous to human and marine life. The DENR also recommended residents not to open the chemical containers that could wash ashore and to report these immediately to authorities. There have been no reports of any fishkill incidents in the area around the ill-fated vessel.
