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Tanker Capsized off Malaysian Coast, Spilling Toxic Chemicals
An Indonesian-registered vessel capsized off southern Malaysia, spilling an unknown quantity of toxic chemicals into a fish farming ground, authorities said Thursday.
The MT Endah Lestari tanker, carrying 600 metric tons of the industrial solvent phenol, began listing shortly after leaving the Malaysian port of Pasir Gudang early Wednesday, officials said.
The captain called for assistance, but the ship rolled onto its side while being towed from the busy sea lane between Singapore and peninsula Malaysia. Officials suspected a cargo shift that affected tanker stability.
The ship's 13 crew were unharmed, but phenol and a large amount of diesel spilled into the water.
The Johor Port Authority, which is undertaking the cleanup, said it did not know how much phenol seeped out because the chemical is colorless and so corrosive that divers cannot examine the hull without special equipment.
Fishermen along the area's coast breed fish and mussels in cages, and reported many of their crops died. Mohammad Dolmat of the Fishermen's Association said shipping company personnel had said fish would be unfit for human consumption for some time.
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