03:54Cleaning efforts continued in Singapore on Tuesday, after an oil spill caused by a shipping accident involving a fuel tanker reached the city's southern shores prompting authorities to close some beaches according to media reports.
Footage shows oil spills in the water, as cleaning teams were seen collecting dirt and sand spilled with oil. Floating barriers were also stationed on the water surface to contain the slick.
"There's no really good way for us to remove the oil totally. The first response is always to contain. I think they tried their best to contain it, but unfortunately, some of it still slipped off, and that's how it ended up in East Coast Park, the Southern Islands, and Sentosa," Lester Tan, chairman of the Marine Conservation Group of Nature Society Singapore, said.
The spill affected the surrounding environment and people, as it forced tourists to change their vacation plans and posed great threats to local species and their natural habitat.
"For wildlife, some of the birds are caught in the oil spill, and that will affect their feathers so they cannot insulate anymore. So they get caught in the cold or overheat, and if they try to preen their feathers, they will accidentally consume or inhale some of the fuel, the oil into their bodies. So it is kind of lethal for them," Tan continued.
"I can even smell this thing around my hotel. I'm staying in Amara Resort, and I can also smell something like kerosene oil there," Somiya Aggarwal, an Indian tourist, added.
"We were hoping to use the beach and go swimming, but we can't because of the oil spill. So we are a bit disappointed with that and sad to see what it's done to the environment here," shared Sadie Harris, a tourist from the US.
On Friday, the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima collided with the Singaporean fuel delivery ship Marine Honour. It destroyed the cargo tank aboard the Marine Honour, causing oil to seep into the sea. Large quantities of the oil have washed ashore and cleanup operations have been launched.
On Monday, authorities said that the dredger boat reported a loss of control and engine before it hit the stationary oil tanker.
Over 250 workers, 18 crafts and container booms had been deployed to for an area of approximately 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) of the shore, as announced by local authorities.
A portion of a public park's shoreline, as well as beaches on three southern islands and a nature reserve, had been restricted to allow cleanup efforts.
Conservationists and scientists are also assessing the full extent of the harm to marine and wildlife.
'Sad to see what it's done to the environment' - Clean-up ongoing as oil spill spreads across southern shores in Singapore
Cleaning efforts continued in Singapore on Tuesday, after an oil spill caused by a shipping accident involving a fuel tanker reached the city's southern shores prompting authorities to close some beaches according to media reports.
Footage shows oil spills in the water, as cleaning teams were seen collecting dirt and sand spilled with oil. Floating barriers were also stationed on the water surface to contain the slick.
"There's no really good way for us to remove the oil totally. The first response is always to contain. I think they tried their best to contain it, but unfortunately, some of it still slipped off, and that's how it ended up in East Coast Park, the Southern Islands, and Sentosa," Lester Tan, chairman of the Marine Conservation Group of Nature Society Singapore, said.
The spill affected the surrounding environment and people, as it forced tourists to change their vacation plans and posed great threats to local species and their natural habitat.
"For wildlife, some of the birds are caught in the oil spill, and that will affect their feathers so they cannot insulate anymore. So they get caught in the cold or overheat, and if they try to preen their feathers, they will accidentally consume or inhale some of the fuel, the oil into their bodies. So it is kind of lethal for them," Tan continued.
"I can even smell this thing around my hotel. I'm staying in Amara Resort, and I can also smell something like kerosene oil there," Somiya Aggarwal, an Indian tourist, added.
"We were hoping to use the beach and go swimming, but we can't because of the oil spill. So we are a bit disappointed with that and sad to see what it's done to the environment here," shared Sadie Harris, a tourist from the US.
On Friday, the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima collided with the Singaporean fuel delivery ship Marine Honour. It destroyed the cargo tank aboard the Marine Honour, causing oil to seep into the sea. Large quantities of the oil have washed ashore and cleanup operations have been launched.
On Monday, authorities said that the dredger boat reported a loss of control and engine before it hit the stationary oil tanker.
Over 250 workers, 18 crafts and container booms had been deployed to for an area of approximately 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) of the shore, as announced by local authorities.
A portion of a public park's shoreline, as well as beaches on three southern islands and a nature reserve, had been restricted to allow cleanup efforts.
Conservationists and scientists are also assessing the full extent of the harm to marine and wildlife.
Cleaning efforts continued in Singapore on Tuesday, after an oil spill caused by a shipping accident involving a fuel tanker reached the city's southern shores prompting authorities to close some beaches according to media reports.
Footage shows oil spills in the water, as cleaning teams were seen collecting dirt and sand spilled with oil. Floating barriers were also stationed on the water surface to contain the slick.
"There's no really good way for us to remove the oil totally. The first response is always to contain. I think they tried their best to contain it, but unfortunately, some of it still slipped off, and that's how it ended up in East Coast Park, the Southern Islands, and Sentosa," Lester Tan, chairman of the Marine Conservation Group of Nature Society Singapore, said.
The spill affected the surrounding environment and people, as it forced tourists to change their vacation plans and posed great threats to local species and their natural habitat.
"For wildlife, some of the birds are caught in the oil spill, and that will affect their feathers so they cannot insulate anymore. So they get caught in the cold or overheat, and if they try to preen their feathers, they will accidentally consume or inhale some of the fuel, the oil into their bodies. So it is kind of lethal for them," Tan continued.
"I can even smell this thing around my hotel. I'm staying in Amara Resort, and I can also smell something like kerosene oil there," Somiya Aggarwal, an Indian tourist, added.
"We were hoping to use the beach and go swimming, but we can't because of the oil spill. So we are a bit disappointed with that and sad to see what it's done to the environment here," shared Sadie Harris, a tourist from the US.
On Friday, the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima collided with the Singaporean fuel delivery ship Marine Honour. It destroyed the cargo tank aboard the Marine Honour, causing oil to seep into the sea. Large quantities of the oil have washed ashore and cleanup operations have been launched.
On Monday, authorities said that the dredger boat reported a loss of control and engine before it hit the stationary oil tanker.
Over 250 workers, 18 crafts and container booms had been deployed to for an area of approximately 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) of the shore, as announced by local authorities.
A portion of a public park's shoreline, as well as beaches on three southern islands and a nature reserve, had been restricted to allow cleanup efforts.
Conservationists and scientists are also assessing the full extent of the harm to marine and wildlife.