SINGAPORE: Oil patches were spotted on the shoreline of Changi Beach on Friday morning (Apr 4) following a leak at Langsat Terminal in Johor.

When CNA arrived at the stretch of beach near Car Park 6 at 10.30am, about 100 bags of oil-soaked sand had already been manually scooped up with shovels.

There were four workers in the vicinity, and CNA understands that around 20 have been deployed throughout Changi Beach.

Authorities have cordoned off sections of the beach near Car Parks 1 to 6, with no indication yet of when the area will reopen to the public. CNA has contacted the National Environment Agency (NEA) with questions about clean-up operations.

The oil leak has also reached the northern coast of Pulau Ubin and Pasir Ris Beach.

At Changi, a group of about 90 students and four teachers were left disappointed after a planned excursion to the intertidal zone there was cancelled.

"The students were very excited and even brought another pair of shoes to change into. But we still decided to come as there was a plan B to show them artefacts of marine creatures instead," a teacher who declined to be named told CNA.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), NEA, National Parks Board (NParks) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a joint statement that booms will be deployed at Chek Jawa Wetlands in Pulau Ubin as a precautionary measure to protect biodiversity-sensitive areas.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in a Facebook post on Friday that the Public Utilities Board (PUB) is closely monitoring seawater intakes for any abnormalities. 

SFA is also working with fish farms in the East Johor Straits to take preventive measures and MPA said in a Facebook post on Thursday night that it was in contact with the Johor Port Authority.