Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A consistent oil spill has killed one man and caused hundreds of other people to fall ill in the Philippines. The health department has sent several medical teams to Guimaras Island that was stricken by the disaster, to treat 329 people who have complained of health problems. Among the symptoms: skin irritations, respiratory problems, stomach aches and nausea.

The environmental disaster was sparked by the sinking of an oil tanker off Guimaras on August 11. About 10% of its two-million-litre cargo of fuel leaked, affecting 200km of coastline.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque arrived in Iloilo yesterday "to see first hand the conditions of the people" and to look into the case of Rogelio Dalida, a fisherman from Nueva Valencia, who died of a heart attack after inhaling oil fumes.

Nueva Valencia mayor, Diosdado Gonzaga, confirmed the death – that occurred last week – but said more tests were needed to determine if his heart attack was really brought on by the oil spill or by asthma the victim suffered from.

Guimaras residents are currently seeking to limit the environmental damage caused by the spill. The Filipino Coast Guard has appealed for "for chicken feathers and human hair" to soak it up. The tanker, said to be resting on the seabed, has been described as "an ecological time bomb" by environmentalists.