CARRASCAL, Surigao del Sur — A maritime incident involving Landing Craft Tank (LCT) 8 has triggered an oil spill response along the coastal waters of Carrascal, Surigao del Sur, after the vessel submerged amid strong winds and rough sea conditions on November 10, 2026.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) immediately launched a response following a distress report from the vessel’s captain, who called authorities at approximately 5:22 a.m. to report that the landing craft had submerged, resulting in an oil spill in the surrounding waters.
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All 17 crew members, including the vessel’s captain, were reported to be in good physical condition. No casualties or injuries were reported in the initial account of the incident.
However, the submersion resulted in an estimated 800 liters of spilled oil, raising concerns over potential contamination of the coastal environment and marine resources in the affected area.
Initial inspections by the Coast Guard response team identified visible oil contamination along approximately 200 meters of shoreline. Authorities subsequently deployed absorbent pads and oil spill containment booms to contain the spread of the petroleum products and facilitate cleanup operations.
During the initial response, personnel recovered approximately 460 liters of an oily water mixture. The cleanup operation continued on November 11, when responders collected an additional 170 liters of oily waste and 390 kilograms of oil-contaminated debris.
These recovery efforts form part of the ongoing containment and remediation operations aimed at limiting the environmental impact of the incident.
The PCG said it continues to monitor the affected coastal waters to assess the extent of contamination and determine whether additional containment, recovery, or cleanup measures are necessary.
A marine casualty investigation is also underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the submersion of LCT 8, including the role of strong winds and rough sea conditions in the incident.
While the safe condition of all 17 crew members prevented the incident from becoming a reported loss-of-life tragedy, the oil spill presents a separate environmental concern, particularly for coastal communities and marine ecosystems that may be exposed to the contamination.
The full extent of the environmental impact has yet to be established. Further monitoring and investigation will be necessary to determine whether the recovered oil and contaminated materials represent the total spill or whether additional pollution remains in the affected waters and shoreline.