Fuel Tanker Sinks in Philippine Waters, Spilling Oil

A tanker sank in Philippine waters and began spilling fuel oil on Thursday, as the remnants of a typhoon complicated efforts to contain the spill.

The MT Terra Nova, a tanker flying under the flag of the Philippines, sank four miles east of Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan, a province northwest of the capital, Manila, early Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said. Sixteen of the 17 crew members on board had been rescued. The vessel was carrying 1.4 metric tons of industrial fuel oil, according to the coast guard.

Typhoon Gaemi, known as Carina in the Philippines, brought intense rain and winds to the Philippines earlier this week, flooding parts of Manila and causing landslides. At least four people have died in the country. The storm struck Taiwan late Wednesday and was headed toward southeastern China on Thursday.

The Philippine government was monitoring a sheen of fuel oil that was spilling out of the Terra Nova and had grown as long as 2.3 miles, said Armando Balilo, a spokesman for the coast guard. But efforts to stop the spill and investigate the cause were being hampered by the weather, according to the transportation ministry.

This is a developing story.