LUCENA CITY, (Philippines): The Philippine Coast Guard rescued 58 passengers from a roll-on/roll-off vessel that tilted to its right side about 10 meters from the port of Real, Quezon before daybreak on Friday (Oct 30).
The MV Virgen de Peñafrancia II had just arrived from Polillo Island and was preparing to dock at the port in Barangay Ungos at 12.44am when it began to topple.
The vessel’s 40 passengers and 18 crew members, including two infants, were safely evacuated. The Coast Guard said the rescue operation concluded at around 3.30am.
Medical personnel from the local disaster risk reduction and management office assessed the rescued individuals and found them to be in good physical condition.
The vessel, operated by Starhorse Shipping Lines Inc., was carrying 14 units of rolling cargo when the incident occurred.
To prevent possible marine pollution, PCG is deploying oil spill containment booms near the distressed vessel to protect nearby coastal communities.
The Coast Guard is also inspecting the vessel’s remaining fuel and oil inventory to assess the risk of marine pollution. The crew reported that the vessel had 1,300 liters of marine diesel oil in its service tank.
“We have directed the shipping company to apply for an Emergency Salvage Permit and undertake measures to safely remove the distressed vessel,” Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said.
Further investigation and monitoring are underway to determine the cause of the incident and assess its potential environmental impact, Cayabyab added.
She said the incident would not affect sea passenger operations in Southern Tagalog as travel for the All Saints’ Day weekend continues.
The PCG District Southern Tagalog recorded the highest passenger volume among PCG districts nationwide, handling 4,107 outbound and 4,373 inbound passengers from midnight to 6am Friday. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
