Oil spill Singapore: Beaches in popular tourist resort island closed off with no swimming allowed after two ships collided

Beaches at a popular tourist resort in Singapore have been forced to close due to an oil spill. Waters and sand at Tanjong Beach on Sentosa island have been stained dark by the slick which happened after a collision between two ships.

The oil spill spread from the nearby Pasir Panjang shipping terminal after a dredger ship struck a stationary bunker vessel on Friday (14 June). The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said that some oil from the damaged cargo tank on the bunker vessel had spilt into the water and "the affected cargo tank has been isolated and the spill contained".

It added that patches of oil were observed off Pasir Panjang Terminal and along Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso beaches. The authority said it deployed 16 oil spill response craft "to continue spraying oil dispersants and to collect the oil slicks on the water surface".

A sign posted on the beach said: "Oil slick spotted. Clean up in progress. Please stay clear of water.”

An advisory on the Sentosa website said the waters of Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso beaches were closed for cleaning and swimming and sea activities were not allowed. Local conservation group Marine Stewards posted photos of oil-soaked birds and shorelines on its Facebook page.

Cleanup efforts are ongoing today (Monday 17 June) with about 100 workers deployed across Sentosa’s beaches, a spokesperson from the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) told CNN.

Singapore is a global shipping and fuel bunkering hub that sits along a narrow, busy strait connecting the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea. Heng Kiah Chun, regional campaign strategist for Greenpeace, told CNN that the incident was a “wake-up call” on the need to phase out fossil fuels.