Beaches on St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu islands in Singapore will be closed indefinitely following an oil spill that occurred on Friday and has since affected several coastlines. The closures come after oil slicks were spotted at St John’s and Lazarus islands. Authorities, including staff from NParks and volunteers from Friends of Marine Park, visited these islands on Sunday to assess the spill’s impact.
Additionally, sections B to H of East Coast Park, along with the jetty and rocky shore of Labrador Nature Reserve, have been closed since Saturday. Although Sentosa’s beaches remain open, sea activities and swimming are prohibited at Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso beaches.
As of Sunday afternoon, no oil slicks were reported within Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, but oil sheen was observed in the surrounding waters. The latest update on Sunday evening, provided by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), the National Environment Agency (NEA), the National Parks Board (NParks), and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), confirms these closures and ongoing cleanup efforts.
The oil spill occurred when the dredger Vox Maxima collided with the stationary bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal on Friday afternoon. This collision led to the release of oil from the bunker vessel’s cargo tank into the water.
In response, MPA deployed patrol craft to apply dispersants and activated their response contractor to use an oil skimmer to minimize the spill’s impact. Booms were also placed around the affected vessels as a precaution. The MPA is currently investigating the incident, with support from British Marine, the insurer of the stationary tanker.
Efforts to recover oil at sea are underway, with the involvement of Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL). OSRL will use floating containment and recovery devices called Current Buster systems to concentrate and recover the oil on the water surface.
To assist in cleanup operations, approximately 1,500 meters of containment booms have been deployed since Friday, with an additional 1,600 meters planned to prevent further oil spread. The public is advised to stay away from affected beaches during cleanup operations. Over 250 personnel, including volunteers, are involved in the cleanup efforts, with more than 1,500 volunteers having signed up to help.
While volunteers won’t participate directly in shoreline cleanup for safety reasons, they will monitor affected areas and report any impacts. NParks appreciates the public’s support and prompt response in caring for the affected areas.