Philippine oil slick reaches Iloilo City

The massive oil spill off Panay island in the Philippines has reached the city of Iloilo as cleanup efforts intensified.

Planes and ships dropped chemical dispersants on the slick as the Japanese ship Shinsei Maru began preparations to salvage the sunken tanker Solar I.

Grassroots efforts aimed at combating the spill utilize human hair and dried grass to soak up the toxic sludge floating on waters off Panay's coast.


A worker arranges bags of relief goods for distribution to the oil spill affected families Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006 in the town of Nueva Valencia on Guimaras island in central Philippines. Similar plastic bags filled with donated human hair are being used to soak up oil residues in the affected area. AP Photo/Ariel Catubig via Yahoo News.