Coast Guard and Marina to investigate cause of fire and passenger discrepancy

By Ronron
June 11, 2007

Apart from the cause of fire, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) will investigate why more people were aboard the ill-fated M/V Catalyn-D compared to those listed in its passenger manifest.

PCG Deputy Commandant for Operations Rear Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said Monday that a total of 287 persons, including 28 crew members, were rescued and recovered from the sea mishap that happened early Sunday morning in the waters off Mindoro Occcidental.

This figure, Tamayo noted, is way above the 267 authorized passengers for said vessel as approved by Marina.

“We have accounted for a discrepancy of 20 persons, which will now be included in the inquiry to be conducted by the PCG District Southern Tagalog,” Tamayo said.

In fact, the passenger manifest of the vessel for said trip only bore names of 216 passengers and 21 crew members.

Based on the PCG’s updated report yesterday, of the 287 accounted persons from the incident, 254 were passengers who survived, five are passengers who died, and 28 are crew members who survived.

M/V Catalyn-D, which has a gross tonnage of 327.3 and owned and operated by San Nicholas Lines, was sailing for Coron, Palawan from Manila when it caught fire at around 5am the other day (Sunday) in the vicinity of Pantocomi Point, Paluan Bay in Mindoro Occidental, the PCG had said.

PCG Commandant Vice Admiral Damian Carlos had earlier disclosed that the fire originated from the cargo room of the vessel.

But until yesterday, the PCG could not still say what caused the fire.

Carlos said the vessel was totally burned and is presumed to have sunk already./DMS