SINGAPORE, June 24 (Xinhua) -- It will take three months to complete the oil spill clean-up in the Tanjong and Palawan beaches at Singapore's resort Sentosa, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said Monday.
The spill happened on June 14 after a collision between a Netherlands-flagged dredger and a Singapore-flagged bunker vessel. The oil spread to Singapore's southern coast areas, including Sentosa, over the next few days.
Public and private organizations have deployed over 700 personnel for the clean-up operation, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, adding that they have collected 550 tons of oil-soaked sand and debris from affected beaches.
The clean-up response in the next phase would focus on removing oil remnants trapped in some areas that are not easily accessible, such as breakwaters and rock bunds, Fu said.
She also noted the authority is monitoring longer-term impacts at biodiversity-sensitive sites. ■
