OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, Philippines — Passenger vessel MV Roro Master 5 ran aground near Sitio Sigman in Barangay Udalo, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, at around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, September 17.
According to the Abra de Ilog Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), approximately 117 passengers and crew members were rescued following the incident.
The vessel’s company initially reported that it was carrying 80 passengers and 24 rolling cargo when it departed Batangas Port.
The vessel was nearing Abra de Ilog Port when it ran aground about 30 meters from the shoreline, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The passengers were temporarily brought to the Abra de Ilog Passenger Terminal following the incident.
The incident caused panic among passengers, occurring just a week after the deadly MV June Aster fire in Coron, Palawan, which left 77 people dead.
Passenger Kith Mallorca Madali said passengers were immediately instructed to wear life jackets and prepare to evacuate after the vessel struck the seabed twice.
“Ang lakas po ng kalabog nang sumadsad, dalawang beses po,” Madali said, adding that some elderly passengers panicked and a two-week-old infant was among those on board.
Photos and videos shared by passenger Reynante Agustin showed passengers wearing life jackets while awaiting assistance.
Coast Guard Southern Tagalog District Commander Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla said all passengers had been rescued as authorities assessed how to remove the vessel from the area.
PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the initial assessment found a rocky seabed, with no marine protected area identified nearby.
No oil spill or water ingress was observed, while an initial investigation indicated that a gyrocompass failure caused the vessel to deviate from its intended course.
The PCG and the Abra de Ilog local government have established an incident command post, while the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
— The Summit Express
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