Three people, including the chief mate, were killed Saturday in a fire that broke out on the passenger ferry M/V ISLAND FASTCRAFT 1, just miles from its destination in Cebu City, Philippines.
The fire reportedly erupted around lunch time when the vessel, travelling from the city of Tubigon in rough weather, was just 4.5 miles Southeast of Cebu City with 75 passenger on board. According to reports, the vessel sank just two hours after the fire broke out. The Philippine Coast Guard together with the commercial vessel M/V SEAJET and a number of good samaritans assisted in the rescue of the surviving passengers.
Sunday, Philippines Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas ordered all vessels operated by the ferry’s owner, Island Express Shipping, be grounded as authorities inspect the seaworthiness of the company’s fleet. Island Express Shipping has a total of eight vessels, including one fastcraft and five RoRo vessels.
“At this point, public safety is our primordial concern. I will not allow shipping companies to take chances with the lives of the passengers. DOTC will ensure that whenever a passenger steps on a ship, he can be certain that ship will have passed all the stringent requirements for safety,” Roxas said.
The DOTC also instructed the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Board of Marine Inquiry to conduct a thorough investigation in order determine whether the shipping company or its crew are at fault. Initial reports said that allegedly, electrical wirings from the engine room may have caused the fire.
The victims included two passengers and the Chief Mate, Abelardo C. Torrevillas Sr.
By Andy Sullivan, Joseph Campbell and Gabriella Borter BALTIMORE, March 26 (Reuters) – Six workers were missing and presumed dead from a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore Harbor early on Tuesday after a massive...
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early today after the large containerships Dali struck a primary support column. Two individuals were rescued, one is seriously injured, and authorities...
The most severe US bridge allision since the Tampa Skyway Bridge disaster in 1980 happened in the early hours of the morning while the ship was under pilotage. Here are...
The Unified Command continues to oversee the response operations following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Dive operations and vehicle recovery have currently been put on...
(Bloomberg) — Russian warships from the Pacific Fleet have crossed the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and entered the Red Sea, the state-run Tass news agency said, venturing into a maritime region plagued...
LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) – Britannia, the insurer of container ship the Dali, is working with the vessel’s owner and U.S. authorities on the investigation into the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott...
2 hours ago
Total Views: 616
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.