Oil spill endangers Sentosa Island, threatens marine reserve

Off the coast of southern Singapore, an oil spill has occurred, threatening local nature reserves. The substance has contaminated, among other areas, the shores of Sentosa Island, known for its paradisiacal beaches and numerous tourist attractions. The spill originated from a nearby shipping terminal on Friday afternoon. Efforts to mitigate the disaster's effects are ongoing.

According to Reuters, the oil has already spread beyond the resort areas and reached the nearby marine reserve and other parts of Sentosa Island. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) reported that the oil has also infiltrated the island's internal waters, home to luxury hotels, recreation areas, and Universal Studios Singapore.

The authorities are fighting the contamination by deploying special absorbent booms designed to soak up the oil before it permeates the environment. Specialized units also operate in the region to combat the spill's effects.

The oil spill spread from the Pasir Panjang terminal, located about 10 kilometers from the popular tourist and residential Sentosa Island, after a Dutch dredger collided with a Singapore-flagged bunker vessel on Friday afternoon.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore stated in a release that part of the oil from the damaged cargo tank on the bunker vessel leaked into the water and that "the damaged cargo tank has been isolated, and the leak contained."

Unfortunately, as Reuters reports, due to tidal currents, some of the fuel has spread further. The incident occurred at the start of a long holiday weekend, during which both locals and tourists flock to the island.

At the moment, the beaches remain open to visitors, but on some of them, swimming and water sports are prohibited.

— The oil spill is a growing ecological disaster that affects some of the region's most important and biologically diverse marine protected areas and fishing zones,” emphasized Heng Kiah Chun, regional representative of Greenpeace.