Singapore races to clean oil spill as luxury beach resort coated in slick

CNN —

An oil spill affecting Singapore has spread beyond a luxury beach resort to a marine reserve and other parts of the island as the authorities intensify cleanup efforts.

The oil spilled into the city-state’s waters after a Netherlands-flagged dredger, Vox Maxima, hit Singapore-flagged bunker vessel, Marine Honor, on Friday afternoon, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

While the oil leak from the vessel had been contained and treated with dispersants as of Saturday, some of the treated fuel had spread due to the tidal currents, according to the MPA.

The oil spill has spread from the busy Pasir Panjang Terminal cargo port, less than 10 kilometers (six miles) from Sentosa, the country’s popular resort island home to luxury hotels, golf courses and Universal Studios Singapore.

The incident occurred just at the start of the Hari Raya Haji long holiday weekend where locals and tourists alike were expected to flock to Sentosa and other landmarks.

Beaches along Sentosa will remain open to the public but swimming and water activities will not be allowed at Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso Beaches along the west coast of the island, the MPA said on Sunday.

The outlying islands of St. John’s, Lazarus and Kusu were closed off on Sunday evening as the slick has spread to the shores of the first two locations, which are popular among day trippers via ferries and yacht charters, according to a joint statement from the National Parks Board, together with scientists and volunteers from Friends of Marine Park.

Oil covers Sentosa's Tanjong Beach in Singapore on June 16, 2024.

Authorities deployed skimmer vessels for the clean-up efforts and laid close to 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) of oil absorbent booms to