Concerned agencies speed up salvaging sunken oil tanker

SAMUT SAKHON, THAILAND, April 9 (TNA) - Thailand's agencies concerned have been ordered to accelerate salvaging an oil tanker which sank off the Maha Chai coast in Bangkok's adjacent Samut Sakhon Province on April 7 in order to limit negative impacts, including a spreading oil spill. Caretaker Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wichet Kasemthongsri made the order on Wednesday, when he took a boat ride to inspect the updated situation and the operation to salvage the capsized oil tanker, together with Samut Sakhon Deputy Governor Winit Piyamethang, Director of the 3rd Region Marine Office, Samut Sakhon Branch, Surachai Burapanontachai and officials of other concerned agencies. Wichet expressed his concerns over the spreading oil spill in the Maha Chai Gulf, as the longer the oil tanker remained in the waters, the problem would become more serious due to more oil slicks from the troubled tanker. The caretaker minister suggested that the concerned agencies jointly find out an efficient measure to urgently salvage the sunken ship to limit the spillover and other negative impacts on locals and marine lives in the area, where a small amount of tiny fish have already been found floating dead. The caretaker minister also instructed relevant agencies to quickly conduct a survey on negative impacts on locals so that compensations will be sought from the owner of the oil tanker, while agencies concerned were assigned to, as well, urgently examine chemical contaminations in the affected waters and to rehabilitate the environment in the area. (TNA)