5 killed, at least 7 wounded as ship catches fire in Mindoro waters

By Ronron
June 10, 2007

Five persons were killed and at least seven others were wounded when a ship bound for Palawan caught fire on Sunday morning in the waters of Mindoro Occidental, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

In a statement, the PCG said M/V Catalyn-D, a passenger-cargo vessel with 327.3 gross tonnage, was sailing in the vicinity of Pantocomi Point, Paluan Bay in Mindoro Occidental when it caught fire around 5 am.

The vessel, owned and operated by San Nicholas Lines, was carrying 260 persons then, including 21 crew members, although its manifest only showed 216 names of passengers.

It was heading for Coron in Palawan, and came from the port of Manila, departing in particular from Pier 2 of the Manila North Harbor at around 6:30 pm last Saturday.

PCG Commandant Vice Admiral Damian Carlos said the fire originated from the cargo room of the vessel, although its cause was not yet immediately known.

He said the incident was only relayed to the PCG headquarters at around 7:45 am.

“The vessel is totally burned and was already abandoned when our vessels arrived there at around 11am,” Carlos told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview.

“I presume it has already submerged in the area,” he added.

Fishing carriers Obby II and Sabrina DL-2, and smaller local fishing bancas who were at the site were the first to respond to the incident and provide assistance, the PCG said.

Upon receipt of the information, the PCG headquarters in Manila also immediately dispatched the following vessels to conduct search and rescue operations: BRP Pampanga (SAR-003), BRP Ilocos Norte (SAR 3501) with medical team and rescue divers on it, BRP Lanao del Norte (SAR 3504), and a PCG helicopter.

FV Obby II rescued 128 survivors, seven of whom sustained fire burns, and recovered two fatalities, and transferred them to BRP Pampanga, which took them back to Manila. They arrived in Manila at 4:45pm.

“Survivors who sustained injuries shall be brought to the nearest hospitals while the recovered dead bodies shall be brought to nearest funeral homes,” the PCG statement said.

FV Sabrina DL-2, on the other hand, took 127 survivors and one fatality, and was heading to Coron. “Coast Guard Station Coron had already been alerted and directed to account properly all survivors and casualties,” the PCG statement said.

The remaining two other fatalities were recovered by the PCG chopper and flown to Manila, the PCG statement said.

The four fatalities that were brought to Manila were Virgilio Saul, 62; Rosa Napoles, 48; Jun Hagus; and an unidentified child. The lone fatality that was brought to Coron has yet to be identified as well.

Carlos could not immediately say what caused the deaths of the five, although he noted that not all of them bore burn marks.

“The Special Board of Marine Inquiry will convene to investigate and establish the immediate cause of the maritime incident involving Catalyn-D,” the PCG statement said.

But Carlos said that immediately yesterday afternoon, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has ordered the suspension of all other vessels owned and operated by the San Nicholas Lines pending the investigation on M/V Catalyn-D./DMS