Singapore Needs 3 Months To Clean Oil Spill At Sentosa Resort

BETWEEN PHOTO/Xinhua/Then Chih Wey/tom.

SINGAPORE - Singapore's Minister of Sustainability and Environment Grace Fu said it took three months to complete cleaning of the oil spills on the beaches of Tanjong and Palawan at the Sentosa resort in Singapore.

According to the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority, public and private organizations have deployed more than 700 personnel for cleaning operations, reported by ANTARA from VNA-OANA, Tuesday, June 25.

They have collected 550 tons of sand and debris submerged in oil spills from affected beaches.

Fu said the cleaning response at the next stage would focus on removing remnants of oil trapped in some hard-to-reach areas, such as wavebreakers and stone trimers.

He noted that authorities are monitoring the long-term impact on locations sensitive to biodiversity.

The oil spill occurred on June 14 after a collision between a Dutch-flagged dredge ship and a Singapore-flagged bunker.

Oil spreads to the southern coast of Singapore, including Sentosa, beaches and parks across Singapore, thus affecting entertainment activities there.

The incident also had an impact on people's lives when several people at Sentosa Cove were forced to leave their homes on June 15 due to an unpleasant odor.

In addition, the cruise ship business suffered losses because tourists were disappointed with the pollution.