Government agencies reported that an oil spill in the southern part of Singapore had spread to other parts of the island and was threatening to destroy a marine park. They added that the authorities were intensifying their efforts to clean up the fuel.

Oil spilled in Singaporean waters on Friday after a Dutch-flagged dredger hit a stationary Singaporean bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang, a southern port.

The authorities had stated that the vessel no longer leaked oil. However, they added in a late Saturday statement that "due the tidal flow, treated oil landed on shorelines such as Sentosa Nature Reserve, Southern Islands Marina South Pier and East Coast Park."

The statement also noted that an oil sheen could be seen in the water surrounding Sister's Islands Marine Park. This marine protected area is 400,000 square meters.

Singapore is an international hub for shipping and fuel bunkering. The impact of the spill on the environment is still unclear. However, local newspaper The Straits Times reported a rise in fish deaths within the next few weeks.

Andrew Dixon, the owner of a sustainable resort located less than one hour from Singapore, says that oil spills on this scale are rare and that authorities should impose tough penalties to prevent this type of incident.

"It is criminal," he said. (Reporting and editing by Xinghui KOK, Joseph Campbell)