Oil spill clean-up at Singapore's Sentosa takes three months: official

By VNA June 25, 2024 | 08:22 pm PT

Workers take a break as they clean up an an oil slick at Tanjong Beach in Sentosa, Singapore, June 16, 2024. Photo by Reuters

Singaporean Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said earlier this week that it will take three months to complete the oil spill clean-up in the Tanjong and Palawan beaches at Singapore's Sentosa resort.

According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, public and private organizations have deployed over 700 personnel for the clean-up operation. They have collected 550 tonnes of oil-soaked sand and debris from affected beaches.

Fu said the clean-up response in the next phase will focus on removing oil remnants trapped in some areas that are not easily accessible, such as breakwaters and rock bunds.

She noted the authority is monitoring longer-term impacts at biodiversity-sensitive sites.

The oil spill happened on June 14 after a collision between a Netherlands-flagged dredger and a Singapore-flagged bunker vessel.

The oil spread to Singapore's southern coast areas, including Sentosa, beaches and parks across Singapore, affecting entertainment activities there.

The incident also affected people's lives when some people in Sentosa Cove were forced to leave their homes on June 15 due to an unpleasant smell. Cruise businesses have suffered losses as tourists are disappointed by the pollution.