Oil spill turns beach black in the Philippines

Black oil covered a beach as authorities investigate the source of an oil spill in the Philippines. The fuel slicked rocks and sand on the shores of Pola town in Oriental Mindoro province on June 25. A local fisherman said: 'The water looks so dark, and it glimmers under the sun. It's reflecting light because of the oil. The locals here are complaining because the water smells terrible.' Captain Airland Lapitan, acting commander of the Coast Guard Station Oriental Mindoro, said the Philippine Coast Guard Marine Environmental Protection unit has taken samples of the oil to study. He said: 'There may have been a passing boat that discharged the oil, or there may have been an accidental leak. We are still investigating the cause.'