On the evening of April 25, the Surabaya, travelling from Tan Cang to Hong Kong, crashed into another vessel, the Glengyle, near Bridge K12 at Saigon Port. The collision caused a major oil spill, threatening the environment, local aquaculture, and maritime traffic.
The scene has been secured.
After the incident, many fishermen reported mass fish deaths and were concerned about the oil spill's impact on the water environment.
Nguyen Thanh Tam, a fisherman in Long Hoa Commune, said he spotted an oil slick on the water's surface on the morning of April 26. He tried to change the water and clean the fish cages, but the fish kept dying.
"I'm breeding 32 cages of pomfret, and this is the first time I have experienced such a situation. I don't dare to sleep at night; I stay up to watch in case more oil spills into the cages. Every day, dozens of fish die, and I am extremely worried about the long-term impact on the water quality," Tam added.
Residents collect dead fish and report them daily to Long Hoa Commune People's Committee.
Oil has covered the soil and mangrove trees in the surrounding forest.
The Vietnam Environmental Incident Response Centre has gathered the spilled oil and installed containment booms to prevent further oil spills.
Until now, the oil has spread over 30 hectares of mangrove forest in Can Gio, affecting 36 areas and clinging to tree trunks, roots, and forest soil. The oil slick has also reached floating fish cages and aquaculture farms in Thanh An, Long Hoa, and Ly Nhon communes.
