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A roll-on/roll-off vessel operated by Starhorse Shipping Lines Inc. that was carrying 40 passengers, 18 crew members and 14 rolling cargoes listed off Real Port in Quezon just past midnight of October 30
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All passengers and crew were immediately rescued and containment measures are ongoing against oil spill
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The vessel was traveling from Polillo Port to Real Port and was just about 10 meters from the port when the incident occurred
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An investigation on the incident is underway
A roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel operated by Starhorse Shipping Lines Inc. that was carrying 40 passengers, 18 crew members and 14 rolling cargoes listed off Real Port in Quezon just past midnight of October 30, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.
All passengers and crew were immediately rescued and containment measures are underway against oil spill.
The MV Virgen de Peñafrancia II tilted to its starboard side at around 12:44 a.m. when it was just approximately 10 meters from the port at Barangay Ungos.
The vessel was traveling from Polillo Port to Real Port.
The PCG said all 58 people aboard, including two infants, were evacuated by 3:30 a.m. and found to be in good physical condition following an assessment by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Real.
The Coast Guard is deploying oil spill containment booms as a precaution after the vessel’s crew reported that it 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,” PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said.
The PCG is continuing its investigation to establish the cause of the incident and assess its potential environmental impact.
Cayabyab said the incident would not disrupt passenger shipping operations in Southern Tagalog as sea travel continues for the All Saints’ Day weekend.
PCG District Southern Tagalog recorded the highest passenger traffic among Coast Guard districts nationwide, handling 4,107 outbound and 4,373 inbound passengers from midnight to 6 a.m. on Friday (October 30).
