Almost 1,400 people have signed up as volunteers to help in clean-up operations following the oil spill which struck Singapore shores on Jun. 15.

In a Facebook post on Jun. 16, National Development Minister Desmond Lee expressed his appreciation for the public's interest and affirmed that local authorities are continuously working on cleaning up affected locations.

"Grateful for the overwhelming response": Lee

Lee said in his post that volunteers from local environmental community, Friends of Marine Park, joined his team to conduct a survey of the Southern Islands in the morning of Jun. 16.

He added that some volunteers are also monitoring the impact at St John Island and Lazarus Island.

Lee had shared an online form calling for volunteers' assistance in an earlier Facebook post on Jun. 15.

He said some may be activated for beach boundary patrol and other roles.

Subsequently, his team may also seek volunteers to carry out post-impact habitat and biodiversity surveys.

Lee added that various agencies and professional teams are currently performing clean-up operations at the impacted parks, beaches and nature reserve.

"While we may not be able to activate everyone who has signed up, due to the nature of the operations and for public safety, we will keep you updated of the latest developments. We appreciate everyone’s interest in caring for our parks and nature areas."