Philippines survivors forced from homes due to oil spill

Some 5,000 survivors of the super typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines have been forcibly evacuated from Estancia town following a large oil spill. A power barge that was damaged during the epic storm spilled hundreds of thousands of litres of oil onto the shoreline, resulting in the area becoming unsafe for human habitation.

The barge, which is owned by the National Power Corporation (Napocor), spilled around 200,000 litres of bunker fuel onto the shoreline. As well as the large amounts of oil contaminating water and land, fumes from the oil have reached toxic levels, according to Dr Marilyn Convocar, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH-Western Visayas), making it unsafe for residents to stay in the area.

Philippine General Hospital (PGH) of University of the Philippines and DOH's East Avenue Medical Center released toxicology reports that state that benzene levels in the air throughout the area of the spill have reached 16.9 parts per million (ppm). According to Dr Convocar, the safe amount of benzene in the air is only 0.5 ppm. 

The Philippine Army's 301st Infantry Brigade and the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPO) were sent to Estancia in an attempt to compel the people staying there to leave for the sake of their health. Those that have been evacuated are currently staying at the Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College, which is having to use tarpaulins as roofing following the structure being damaged in the typhoon.

It is unclear whether everyone has evacuated the area at this time, although Dr Slenn Alonsabe, chief epidemiologist of DOH-Western Visayas, warned that anyone that remains in the area is putting themselves at risk of skin diseases and respiratory problems. Some people that were living in the area have already, reportedly, begun to develop headaches and coughs.

Napocor has said that it could take around three months to contain the spill. So far around 40 tonnes of oily debris has been collected along with some 70,000 litres of bunker oil. 

The Philippine Coast Guard has said that Napocor are not responsible for the oil spill and can't be faulted for it.