OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Philippines: Ferry Disaster - Toxic Cargo
16 July 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

NOTE: This situation report is based on information received from the 
Government of the Philippines. International Maritime Organisation (IMO), 
the UN Resident Coordinator 's Office in the Philippines. World Health 
Organisation (WHO), Monitoring and Information Centre of the European 
Commission (MIC ), and various media sources

Key Summary

- On 21 June, the `Princess of the Stars' ferry boat capsized in the 
central Philippines. The ferry was carrying 100,000 litres of fuel and 
highly toxic pesticides.

- The Government of the Philippines and the United Nations agreed that the 
current situation could result in major ecological disasters impacting on 
health and livelihoods of the local population if not handled properly.

- The European Commission (Monitoring and Information Centre) and the 
United Nations (UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit) dispatched a joint 
mission to assess the environmental impact of the incident as well as 
priority needs and gaps in assistance.

Situation

I . The 'Princess of the Stars' ferry boat, which left Manila on Friday 20 
June at night, went aground on Saturday 21 June. On Saturday night, it 
began sinking as Typhoon Fengshen was moving through the area, after 16 
hours in the 22-hour voyage. The vessel capsized at about 3 kilometres 
from Romblon on the shore of Sibuyan Island in the central Philippines. 
More than 700 passengers lost their lives. While divers were conducting 
rescue and recovery operations, it was reported that the boat was 
transporting an estimated amount of 100,000 litres of fuel in the cargo. 
It was also reported that a large amount of highly toxic pesticides such 
as antracol, tamaron, nicolsamide and carbamate were loaded in the cargo. 
The chemical substances of particular concern contained in the cargo 
include endosulfan, carbofuran, and methamidophos. Due to potential 
hazards, the rescue and recovery efforts were suspended. Meanwhile the 
hundreds of corpses are still trapped inside the vessel.

2. These chemicals were reported to be packed in a 40-foot container. This 
suggests that the quantity of toxic chemicals could be more than 10 metric 
tones. Bulks of the items appear to remain inside the cargo, as there is 
no indication that the toxic substances leaked outside the non-soluble 
packaging.

3. The Government of the Philippines and the UN Country Team in the 
Philippines are in full agreement that the above-described situation could 
result in a major ecological disaster if not handled properly. The current 
situation may cause serious effects on health and livelihoods of the 
people living in the area. The government authorities already imposed 
fishing ban over the area of 15 kilometres radius around Sibuyan Island 
due to the concerns of possible contamination. The Philippines Bureau of 
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will place buoys and markers and 
facilitate patrolling in the affected area.

4. As the typhoon season approaches, around 20 typhoons are expected to 
affect the Philippines over the six months to come.  This may wreak havoc 
on the stability of the capsized vessel.

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docido44606D0B08D05D4925748800036806&file=Full_Report.pdf

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