Philippines oil spill barge sinks

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A barge carrying hundreds of tonnes of debris from last August's devastating oil spill in the Philippines has sunk.

The barge was being towed to a processing plant when it sank in rough seas, raising fears of another environmental crisis.

Officials say the crew has been rescued, and that they are investigating the incident.

A tanker, the Solar 1, was carrying two million litres of oil when it sank near the Guimaras island on 11 August.

The spill affected 40,000 people and hundreds of kilometres of coastline.

Bad weather

The barge, hired by oil refiner Petron, was carrying sludge from the site where the Solar 1 sank.

Local officials blamed the sinking on giant waves and strong winds.

Fishing had been prohibited in the area four days ago because of bad weather.

The enforcement chief of the Philippines Maritime Industry Authority, Arnie Santiago, told news agency AFP that effects on the environment were expected to be minimal.

The agency quoted him as saying that the sand and bunker oil, which were contained in sacks, "would sink to the bottom of the sea and will likely leave only traces of oil, like thin filaments that would also evaporate".

A spokesman for Petron, which had also chartered the Solar 1, told Reuters news agency that the company had sent equipment to clean up the latest sinking.

He said the debris "is unlikely to pose a danger to communities, shoreline or marine life".

'Disaster in the making'

But environmental group Greenpeace said Petron should be held accountable for the sinking of the barge.

"Petron has yet to fully answer for its disastrous oil spill, but here it is again with another environmental disaster in the making," it said in a statement.

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo had described the August spill as a national calamity.

The salvage operation has been dogged by problems.

The spill has affected coastline and threatened rich fishing grounds.

Oily sludge and dead wildlife has washed up on beaches, with reefs, marine reserves and the tourist industry all affected.

The pollution has also been causing health problems to residents.