SINGAPORE: Fifteen crew members rescued from a Singapore-flagged ship that capsized in the South China Sea on Jan 23 have been handed over to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), along with the bodies of two crew members who died.
Arrangements are being made for their return home, K Line – the shipping agency operating the stricken vessel Devon Bay – said in a statement on Jan 25.
Bulk carrier Devon Bay, built in 2013 and registered in Singapore, sank near the Scarborough Shoal off the Philippine coast while en route to Yangjiang, China. There were 21 crew members on board, all of whom were Filipinos, Reuters reported.
Search-and-rescue operations for the remaining four crew members are ongoing, under “close coordination of the relevant maritime authorities”, K Line said.
Due to “big waves” in the area, the rescued crew members were transferred from the China Coast Guard to the PCG using the rigid-hull inflatable boats of both vessels, PCG said in a Facebook post on Jan 25.
They are expected to arrive at the Port Area in Manila early on Jan 26, the PCG added.
K Line said it is working closely with the relevant authorities and the ship manager to get the crew members the care and support they need and to reunite them with their families and loved ones.
China and the Philippines said on Jan 23 that they had launched rescue operations after receiving word of the distressed cargo ship. Seventeen crew members were rescued, but two later died, said the Chinese military. - The Straits Times/ANN
