An unidentified and unmanned Chinese cargo ship sank off the coast of Gageo Island, Yellow sea, southwest South Korea, in the morning Nov 29. No people were found, the ship is apparently, Chinese with visible Chinese flag, but no crew found. She drifted to island being already half-submerged, Korean authorities launched an investigation, whether it was maritime accident or an attempt to illegally enter Korea. The name looks like XIANG SHUN 899, but no data found on such name. Korean sources say, citing Coast Guard, that the tonnage of the ship is roughly 200 tons, but she looks bigger, some 500 GT, probably.
This image from video provided by Bolaji John shows the burning Trinity Spirit anchored 15 miles off the coast of Nigeria, which caught fire on Feb. 2, 2022. The ship had no insurance, no flag, and had fallen into a state of disrepair. Five workers were killed and two others left unaccounted for in the blast. (Bolaji John via AP)
BY HELEN WIEFFERING AND GRACE EKPU
Updated 1:01 PM JST, October 30, 2023
OKITIPUPA, Nigeria (AP) — It was the dead of night when the ship caught fire, Patrick Aganyebi remembers, but the flames made it seem as bright as day.
The explosion that night woke him and knocked him to the floor. He tucked his phone and his ID card in his pockets, strapped on a life jacket and made his way to the upper deck. As the flames barreled toward him, he prepared to jump nearly 100 feet (30 meters) into the sea.
Five workers were killed and two others presumed dead in the blast on the Trinity Spirit, a rusting converted oil tanker anchored 15 miles (24 km) off the coast of Nigeria that pulled crude oil from the ocean floor. It was by the grace of God, Aganyebi said, that he and two fellow crewmen escaped, rescued by a pair of fishermen as the burning vessel sank along with 40,000 barrels of oil.
The Trinity Spirit’s explosion in February of last year stands among the deadliest tragedies on an oil ship or platform in recent years. The Associated Press’ review of court documents, ship databases, and interviews with crew members reveals that the 46-year-old ship was in a state of near-total disrepair, and the systems meant to ensure its safe and lawful operation — annual inspections, a flag registry, insurance — had gradually fallen away.
The Trinity Spirit fits a pattern of old tankers put to work storing and extracting oil even while on the brink of mechanical breakdowns. At least eight have been shut down after a fire, a major safety hazard, or the death of a worker in the last decade, according to an AP review. More than 30 are older than the Trinity Spirit and still storing oil around the world.
Jan-Erik Vinnem, who has spent his career studying the risks of offshore oil production, said he’s sometimes shocked when he sees pictures of oil ships in Africa.
AGING HULLS
The Trinity Spirit was part of a class of vessels that extracts oil offshore and stores it at sea. They are known as floating production storage and offloading units — FPSOs — or as FSOs, floating storage and offloading units, when used only for storage. Since the 1970s, they’ve become increasingly popular for developing oil in deep waters and in places where no pipelines exist. According to the environmental group SkyTruth, there are some 240 in operation today.
FPSOs are unlike most ships for one key reason: They stay in place. Once attached to the ocean floor, they can linger at the same oil field for years or even decades. They may be surveyed by in-country regulators or hired inspectors, but they operate outside the normal flow of shipping traffic and the added safety and legal inspections that take place in port.
“If a vessel is sitting in a country’s domestic waters and is not going around trading … then you’re not going to have that same level of oversight,” said Meghan Mathieson, strategy director at the Canadian-based Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping.
More than half the current fleet of FPSOs are recycled oil tankers, according to Oslo-based Rystad Energy, which keeps data on the ships. Senior analyst Edvard Christoffersen said that without a major repair, most oil ships have hulls built to last about 25 years. But some FPSOs are used far longer, sometimes to dangerous effect.
In the same month that the Trinity Spirit caught fire, inspectors found problems with an aging FPSO moored off the coast of Malaysia. The Bunga Kertas was built as an oil tanker in the 1980s, and press coverage of its conversion to an FPSO in 2004 said the vessel had an intended service life of 10 more years.
But it was 18 years later when a safety issue on the Bunga Kertas led to a pause in operations. The ship’s hull had “ integrity issues,” according to stakeholder Jadestone Energy. Four months later a diver was killed while repairing the damage. Petronas, the operator at the time, did not respond to a request for comment.
This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Until this fall, another aging ship floating off the coast of Yemen seemed dangerously close to spilling a massive amount of oil. The FSO Safer was built in the same year as the Trinity Spirit, and became a floating hazard over years of neglect amid the country’s civil war. Seawater had leaked into the ship’s engine room by 2020.
“It could break up at any time – or explode,” the United Nations said in a statement this spring.
The ship held more than a million barrels of oil — risking a spill that could have decimated fisheries in the Red Sea, threatened desalination plants and washed oil on the shores of countries around the Horn of Africa, according to the U.N. After years of alarm and negotiations, the oil was transferred onto another tanker this August, but the rusting Safer remains off Yemen’s coast, awaiting funds to be scrapped.
Age isn’t the only measure of a ship’s health: Climate, storms and wave patterns can add stress to ship components or increase the pace of corrosion, just as careful maintenance can extend a ship’s life.
But the fleet’s growing age is well known in the industry. The average hull age of FPSOs has increased from 22 to nearly 28 years since 2010, according to Rystad Energy. The American Bureau of Shipping — one of several companies known as classification societies that certify vessels’ safety — launched a working group in 2021 to address the challenges of older FPSOs, noting that 55 ships were approaching the end of their intended lives.
“A lot of these things are foreseeable,” said Ian Ralby, a maritime security expert who helped sound the alarm about the Safer.
“If they are not well maintained and not watched carefully,” Ralby said, “they can sink, they can spill, and they can, as the Trinity Spirit showed, blow up.”
DANGEROUS TO ABANDON
There has been little to no public explanation of what led to the Trinity Spirit’s explosion, though multiple Nigerian agencies had responsibility for overseeing the ship. The Trinity Spirit had been on the same oil field for more than two decades. According to Aganyebi, after the ship arrived in Nigeria, it was never brought to shore for major upgrades or repairs.
Warning signs began years before it caught fire. In 2015, the American Bureau of Shipping canceled its classification and ceased inspections of the ship. There’s no record the Trinity Spirit had insurance after that point, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. In the next several years, the ship lost its privilege to fly the flag of Liberia, becoming a stateless vessel.
By 2019, Nigeria’s petroleum regulator had revoked the Trinity Spirit’s license to pump oil. Nigeria’s head of maritime safety, quoted in local press coverage, said his agency had directed the ship to stop operating five years before the blast. Yet the Trinity Spirit was never forced to leave.
Up till the moment of the explosion, there was oil on board. As recently as 2021, according to satellite imagery and ship transponder data, oil was loaded onto a tanker that later docked at a Shell refinery in the Netherlands.
Adeyemi Adeyiga, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, which regulates the country’s oil resources, said the sale was legal because the oil was produced before the license was revoked. And a spokesperson for Shell said the company conducts robust reviews of its supply chain and complies with all laws and regulations.
Though the federal government investigated the Trinity Spirit’s explosion, more than a year later no findings have been released. For months, it seemed the only scrutiny would fall on the surviving men.
Not long after their escape, and still in the throes of recovery, Aganyebi and a fellow crewman were arrested on accusations of “Murder, Arson, and Malicious Damage,” according to their charging documents. Police were acting on a complaint from Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited — the Trinity Spirit’s longtime operator.
An attorney in Lagos took on the case pro bono.
“They committed no offense, they did nothing wrong. They were staffers of the company,” Benson Enikuomehin said. In an interview, he accused Shebah of drumming up criminal charges to distract from the company’s missteps. Anything that took place on the Trinity Spirit should be considered illegal after the license to the oil field was revoked, he said.
Yinka Agidee, an attorney specializing in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector who was not involved in the case, said the Trinity Spirit represented an “accident waiting to happen,” and showed that local authorities failed to enforce their own orders.
“I’m not sure if it’s a question of people closing their eyes or deliberately not doing what they’re supposed to have done,” she said. “But that has resulted in an accident and there has been a loss of life. So we need some explanation.”
Interviews and an exploration of documents provide a lack of clarity about who was responsible for the Trinity Spirit in the final years of its decline. Though Shebah hired Aganyebi and the rest of the Trinity Spirit’s crew, CEO Ikemefuna Okafor said in an email to the AP that the company wasn’t responsible for the ship’s neglect. The company reported the surviving crew to police, he said, because it had evidence of illegal storage of oil on the ship.
According to Okafor, liquidators seized ownership of the Trinity Spirit in 2018 due to Shebah’s outsized debt. Yet in a deposition given one year before the explosion, the company’s former president, Ambrosie Orjiako, described how Shebah continued to run operations.
Sustaining fuel purchases, food supplies, and “skeletal manpower” wasn’t easy, Orijako said, because “there’s no revenue coming in.” But he managed to fund the minimal operations with family resources, he said, because the FPSO “would be dangerous to abandon.”
Adeyiga, the spokesperson for Nigeria’s Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, said it was still finalizing its investigation into the ship’s explosion and would continue working to prevent similar tragedies from happening.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency did not respond to repeated requests for comment, but issued notice in December that all FPSOs and FSOs in Nigeria’s waters must have a flag, be certified by a classification society, and maintain official plans for ship maintenance and emergency response.
This combination of photos provided by Pius Orofin, a deck operator aboard the Trinity Spirit oil ship, shows rusted areas of the ship moored 15 miles off the coast of Nigeria, in November 2021. (Pius Orofin via AP)
SAVE OUR SOULS
The deck of the Trinity Spirit was an expanse of rust. Orange rust coated the floor, crept over pipes and trailed from crevices in the walls, according to cell phone photos taken four months before the explosion. Equipment failures plagued the ship’s interior: The engine room flooded twice, Aganyebi said, and the main generator plant was damaged and never repaired.
Shebah had started running operations on the ship in 2004, taking over from Houston-based ConocoPhillips. But the site’s wells had passed peak oil production several years earlier, according to the energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. Within a few years Shebah’s venture showed signs of financial stress.
Oil and gas operators tend to operate on the edge of financial wealth or financial ruin, said David Hammond, founder of the nonprofit Human Rights at Sea.
“These things go from boom to bust,” he said. “The workers are the last people to be looked after.”
Aganyebi worked in the engine room of the Trinity Spirit. Within a year of joining the crew in 2014, he said, Shebah stopped reliably paying his wages. Lawrence Yorgolo, who operated the crane on the ship, and Pius Orofin, a deck operator — the only other survivors of last year’s fire — alleged the same in interviews with the AP. The men said they stayed on board the ship because they had few other options and hoped they would someday be paid.
The staff sent repeated letters asking for the money they were owed, the men told AP. One of their last attempts was dated July 2019, with a subject line of “SAVE OUR SOUL (SOS).” They wrote they had worked 15 months without salary and endured, with “pains and hardship,” the “harsh condition and occupational hazards” of life on board the Trinity Spirit.
Shebah by that time owed millions of dollars. A trio of banks had sued the company over its alleged failure to make payments on a $150 million loan, and in 2016 a judge ruled that Shebah must repay nearly the full amount. A government-run entity, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, moved to take over the company and the assets of its president. The ship’s staffing dwindled from nearly 40 people to 10.
For those who remained, there were times on the ship when there was nothing to eat, the survivors told AP. Yorgolo recalled how the crew went hungry one year on Christmas. On a separate occasion — the worst of them, he said — the engine room flooded and the staff worked for three days without food. The radio operator sent a message pleading with oil operators nearby to come to their aid.
“Our management was furious,” Yorgolo said.
When the radio operator next went to shore, according to Aganyebi, Yorgolo and Orofin, Shebah didn’t allow him back on the ship. He was the designated person to fire a flare or call for help in an emergency. Had the radio operator been on board the night of the explosion, Aganyebi said, “maybe those people that have died — they wouldn’t have died.”
The AP’s attempts to reach the former radio operator were unsuccessful.
When it broke in two and began to sink, the Trinity Spirit had at least 40,000 barrels of oil on board, according to Nigeria’s environmental department, which responded to examine the spill. It was capable, like most FPSOs, of storing more than a million barrels.
The agency said oil wasn’t leaking from the submerged tanks nor had it washed up on shore, but letters still arrived from community members in nearby Ondo and Delta states complaining about the spill. Oil sheens were visible fanning out from the vessel in satellite imagery for days.
Five bodies were recovered, and two were never found.
SINKING SHIP
Among the more than 30 ships identified by the AP as older than the Trinity Spirit is the Al-Zaafarana, floating off the coast of Egypt. At 54 years, it is one of the oldest FPSOs still in service. Close behind it are FPSOs in Malaysia and Brazil, each at least half a century old.
Along Nigeria’s coast, about 200 miles (320 km) south of where the Trinity Spirit caught fire, the FPSO Mystras is still in service at 47 years old, although industry reports have noted structural issues on the ship. The classification society DNV severed ties with the Mystras three years ago, ending its regular inspections. According to Rystad Energy, it was originally designed to operate only through 2014.
The Mystras’ owner, NNPC Limited, did not respond to AP’s requests for comment.
Further inland, the Trinity Spirit’s surviving crew members have been left to eke out a living as they wait for the wages they say were never paid. Aganyebi’s vision is poor from the glare of the explosion; Orofin’s hearing is damaged from the noise. He has a long scar on his leg. Both men spent 19 days in jail.
Yorgolo, who was the only survivor not charged with a crime, fell on his back when he jumped from the burning vessel and was unconscious when fishermen pulled him into their boat. He believes he wasn’t named as a suspect only because he spent months in the hospital suffering from an injured spine.
The charges were dropped in October last year after the Ondo State Ministry of Justice reviewed the case. In conversations with AP, the men vehemently denied setting the vessel on fire or illegally storing oil. They blamed the explosion on their employer, Shebah, and the years without maintenance on the ship.
For Aganyebi, it was clear the company had abandoned the Trinity Spirit long ago.
“No medical personnel, no safety officer, no radio man in that gigantic vessel,” he said.
Off the coast of Nigeria, the ship is still visible — split in two pieces and half submerged. As recently as September, in satellite imagery, oil appeared to be leaking from the site of the wreck. It’s unclear when authorities will remove the hazard or salvage the remaining oil, as slowly, the ship sinks further into the sea.
Wieffering reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press reporters Michael Biesecker in Washington, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut and Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria, contributed to this report.
MSC Eagle F being towed into the Port of Mombasa after it ran aground near the entrance canal into the Kilindini channel, Mombasa.
Image: HANDOUT
Kenya Ports Authority has rescued a cargo vessel after it got stuck at Kilindini channel, Mombasa county on Monday.
The MSC Eagle F vessel, drifted off the entrance canal towards Mombasa Port after an engine failure.
It had sailed to Mombasa for seven days from Port Louis in Mauritius.
KPA said the vessel was rescued by its engineers at 12pm on Tuesday after it had stalled for more than 24 hours.
The authority said the rescue averted a marine ecological disaster at the entrance of the Kilindini channel.
KPA sent three tugboats namely, Mwokozi II, Pate and Nyangumi to rescue the 23-year ship which was loaded with more than 426 containers.
“The three tugboats safely towed the ship ladened with 426 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, which is equivalent to 9,709 metric tonnes into the Port, ending anxious moment following the grounding at 11: 35 a.m. on Monday,” KPA said.
Salvage tugboat Mwokozi II, has a bollard pull of 120 tonnes, Pate and Nyangumi have 75 and 58 tonnes of bollard pulls respectively.
The rescue mission was conducted in partnership with Southern Engineering Company, whose tugboat, Alpha Falcao stood by the MSC Eagle F overnight in case the crew required evacuation.
Andrew Mwangura, a marine expert and former official of the Seafarers Union of Kenya, told the Star on Wednesday, that investigations into the incident have begun.
“The vessel was towed to the Mtongwe area. It will also have to undergo some repair works before it is allowed to sail again,” he said.
Mwangura said the area where the vessel got stuck is near a reef.
“It would have been a disaster of oil spill if the vessel had hit a reef. The marine environment would have been affected, but we are glad everything went smoothly,” he said.
Mwangura said the navigation channel was not affected since the vessel was yet to enter Kilindini Canal channel.
MSC Eagle F has a carrying capacity of 17,451 DWT and her current draught is reported to be 9.2 metres. The vessel has a length overall of 143.15 metres and a width of 22.8 metres.
The vessel, which flies a Liberian flag, lost its engine after being cleared to sail into Kilindini channel. KPA had to send a tugboat to accompany it.
On the morning of September 24, a fire broke out in the engine room of the bulk carrier Samudra Sakti III in Sumatra, Indonesia.
The incident occurred while the vessel was anchored at Bandar Lampung in East Sumatra, situated in the Sunda Strait. A fleet of tugs and firefighting boats were immediately deployed to the scene, addressing the situation at hand and leading to the necessary evacuation of its 26 people.
The bulk carrier had recently completed its journey from Singapore and arrived at its designated anchorage on September 21. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
According to the latest updates from local news, authorities have the situation is currently under control. Luckily, there were no casualties due to the incident. Only one individual on the ship only suffered minor burns.
Fire crews fighting the blaze as the crew ran to escape (CTV News/YouTube)
A small Chinese-owned cargo ship caught fire while in a Taiwan shipyard for repairs creating some dramatic scenes as crewmembers ran for safety and one reportedly fell or jumped overboard into the harbor. After some dramatic moments, the crew and the shipyard workers were reported to all be uninjured and the fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes.
The ship is the Wan Lung, a 29-year-old ship that operates a coastal Chinese cargo service. The ship, which is currently registered in Cameroon, is approximately 300 dwt and 175 feet in length.
Not a lot of details are known about the ship but it has a checkered past having been listed in 2020 by the International Labour Organization as abandoned with ten crewmembers stranded aboard. The vessel then known as the Kumi Maru No. 3 was reported stuck on a sandbank and the crew had to walk ashore at low tide to get food. At the time, it had an expired registry from Sierra Leone. In 2021, the ITF reported contact with the crew had been lost and the ship’s whereabouts were unknown for at least 12 months.
The ship arrived at the Jong Shyn Shipbuilding yard in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on September 12 and the fire was reported to the City Fire Department around 4:00 p.m. yesterday, September 13. There was a crew of nine aboard with eight from Myanmar and one from China, as well as an undetermined number of shipyard workers on the vessel at the time of the fire.
Local reports are saying they suspect the fire might have been started while the crew was using an oxyacetylene torch to remove rust.
TV images caught images of one crewmember running along the deck possibly trying to fight the fire or find an escape route. A Coast Guard vessel docked in front of the ship began spraying water and was joined by a fireboat and the fire department crew fighting the fire from the dock.
Images showed one of the crewmembers sitting on the rail of the ship at the stern. Some reports are saying he fell into the harbor but was rescued uninjured. Some of the crew was able to make their way along with two shipyard workers to the gangway while others were trapped on the stern.
The fire was out by 4:30 p.m. but continued to smolder. The crews were unable to open the hatch fearing it would reignite the fire.
Libertas H seen leaving Rotterdam in 2007 (Alfvan Beem photo - CC0 1.0 license)
Greek authorities are investigating after a cargo ship and a containership collided in the Ionian Sea on the western side of Greece overnight. While there appears to have been only minor damage to the vessels, they are trying to understand what caused a fire to break out aboard the Malta-registered feeder ship Libertas H.
The two vessels were traveling in the busy sea lane on the western side of Greece approximately four miles from the island of Kefalonia. The Coast Guard is reporting that a “fresh breeze” (Force 5) was blowing at the time with wind speeds up to about 20 knots. Images show a small chop on the waters.
The Libertas H managed by Reederei Hinsch was sailing from Piraeus, Greece to the port of Durres in Albania loaded with containers. The vessel, which was built in 2007, is 8,700 dwt and 416 feet in length. There is a crew of 11 aboard.
The other vessel involved in the collision is the Sea Leader, a general cargo ship registered in Malta. The 6,355 dwt vessel was reported to be sailing from Italy to Aliaga, Turkey loaded with an unidentified cargo. She has a crew of 12 aboard.
The collision occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, September 6. The chief of the local fire department told Greek radio Skai that they had reports of a small fire aboard the Libertas H but that the crew was able to extinguish it. The fire department and Hellenic Coast Guard responded to the accident and later a fleet of tugs was reported at the two vessels.
The Coast Guard ordered the vessel to sail to the port of Argostoli on Kefalonia. Indications are that the Sea Leader anchored in the bay and the Liberatas H has now moored. Both vessels will undergo inspections and the captains will be interviewed to determine the circumstances of the collision and what caused the fire.
On 2nd August, container ship MTT Singapore, ran aground onto right bank of Hugli river while sailing upstream in India.
According to news, the ship is having 338 containers on board. The grounding was caused by cargo ship proceeding in opposite direction. While the ship trying to avoid the collision, ran onto bank.
Some local reports are suggesting that the vessel was attempting to pass another ship on the river.
Luckily there were no injuries but a lot of people turned out to see the ship stuck, as explained the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
The MTT Singapore is a 10,300 dwt containership operated as part of the regional service from MTT Shipping of Malaysia.
As informed, the 27-year-old vessel has a capacity of 653 TEU although the ministry is reporting that the vessel has a crew of 20 from the Philippines and Malaysia and is registered in Malaysia.
General cargo ship YU CHANG 128 while maneuvering to berth in Naoetsu Port, central Honshu, Japan sea, struck pier at around 1330 Tokyo time Aug 3, on arrival from Busan Korea. The ship got stuck in basin, she was freed about an hour later with tug’s assistance, and moored. No leak reported, extent of damages unknown.
General cargo ship YU CHANG 128, IMO 9982603, dwt 6700, built 2022, flag Panama, manager RONGCHENG SHIPPING CO LTD, Shangdong.
One person has died and several have been injured after a car carrier with some electric vehicles caught fire in the North Sea off the Netherlands overnight.
The first was report around midnight on the Panama-flagged Fremantle Highway traveling from Bremerhaven, Germany to Port Said, Egypt with 23 crew members on board.
The ship is reportedly loaded with 2,857 vehicles, including 25 electric vehicles. The cause of the fire unknown.
The burning ship is located around 27 kilometers off the coast of Ameland, Netherlands.
All 23 crew members were evacuated by helicopter and lifeboat and taken ashore. Unfortunately one has died and several are reported injured.
Photo courtesy Netherlands Coastguard
The Netherlands Coastguard is leading the response and has its salvage vessel Guardian on scene along with several other sea and air assets. The Guardian and a second tug, the Nordic, have been spraying water to cool the ship’s hull to tame the fire. The Nordic was expected to be replaced by another tug, the Fairplay 30.
As of Wednesday afternoon (local time) the fire continued to burn and had spread throughout the vessel. Flames could be seen coming from the top deck.
A tug belonging to Rederij Noordgat has established a connection to hold the burning vessel is place, but is incapable of towing it. The Coastguard reports that a salvage team has arrived on board the Guardian and are working towards establishing a towing connection.
The Embassy of India in The Hague, the Netherlands has confirmed that the deceased person is an Indian national and that 20 crew members sustained injuries.
An update from the Coastguard said some crew members were rescued from the water by a lifeboat with the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) and Rederij Noordgat. The situation is currently reported as “stable.”
The fire is the latest involving roll-on/roll-off vehicle carriers and is reminiscent of the Felicity Ace fire in 2022, which resulted in the vessel’s sinking in the N. Atlantic nearly two weeks after the fire started. That ship was also carrying electric vehicles, complicating firefighting efforts and shining a spotlight on the dangers of transporting of EVs and lithium-ion batteries by ship.
The Fremantle Highway is nearly 200 meters long and entered service in 2013. Equassis data shows it is owned by Japanese entities related to Shoei Kisen Kaisha (Luster Maritime/Higaki Sangyo). The ship is managed by Wallem Shipmanagement.
At Least 15 Dead, 19 Missing In Ferry Sinking In Indonesia
The vessel was ferrying people across a bay in Muna island. (Representational)
Jakarta: Indonesian authorities were searching for missing passengers on Monday after a ferry sank off Sulawesi island, killing at least 15, the national search and rescue agency said.
Of 40 passengers on board, 19 were still missing, while six survived, the agency said in a statement. The cause of the sinking, which occurred at about midnight, was still unclear.
"All the victims have been identified and handed over to the families while the survivors are now being treated in local hospitals," said Muhamad Arafah from the local branch of the search and rescue agency.
At Least 15 Dead, 19 Missing In Ferry Sinking In Indonesia
The vessel was ferrying people across a bay in Muna island. (Representational)
Jakarta: Indonesian authorities were searching for missing passengers on Monday after a ferry sank off Sulawesi island, killing at least 15, the national search and rescue agency said.
Of 40 passengers on board, 19 were still missing, while six survived, the agency said in a statement. The cause of the sinking, which occurred at about midnight, was still unclear.
"All the victims have been identified and handed over to the families while the survivors are now being treated in local hospitals," said Muhamad Arafah from the local branch of the search and rescue agency.
Photos shared by the rescue agency showed victims' bodies covered in cloth on the floor of the local hospital.
The vessel was ferrying people across a bay in Muna island, about 200 km (124 miles) south of Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi province.
Ferries are a common mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, and accidents are common as lax safety standards often allow vessels to be overloaded without adequate life-saving equipment.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Indonesian authorities were searching for missing passengers after the ferry sank Photograph:(Others)
A search and rescue operation is underway as at least 15 people were killed and 19 were missing after a ferry sank off the coast of Indonesia's Sulawesi island on Monday (July 24).
Local reports said the ferry, with 40 people on board, sank just after midnight (1700 GMT, Sunday). It had been crossing from Lanto village on Buton island to Lagili village on Muna island in Southeast Sulawesi when the tragedy struck.
"Provisionally, there are 19 people who are still being searched for," Muhamad Arafah, head of the local search and rescue agency in Kendari city in Southeast Sulawesi was quoted as saying by AFP.
Six people survived the sinking and were rescued by the officials and sent to the hospital for treatment.
"All the victims have been identified and handed over to the families while the survivors are now being treated in local hospital," added Arafah.
Watch: 29 dead in Indonesia ferry disaster; search underway
The rescue images shared by the agencies showed victims' bodies covered in cloth on the floor of one of the local hospitals.
It is still unclear what caused the ferry to sink but preliminary investigations suggest it may have something to do with overcrowding.
Ferry accidents common in Indonesia
Ferries are a common mode of transport across Indonesia, an archipelago, made up of more than 17,000 islands. Naturally, the laws are lax and safety standards mostly non-existent.
Last May, a ferry carrying over 800 passengers ran aground in shallow waters off East Nusa Tenggara province for two days. It remained stuck there before the authorities intervened and managed to dislodge it. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the accident.
In 2018, 150 passengers aboard a ferry died after the vessel carrying them sank in a deep volcanic crater lake on the island of Sumatra.
Around 600 containers are reported lost from a feeder container ship that sank at the port of Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
As earlier reported by TradeWinds, the Palau-registered, 1,262-teu Angel (built 2003) developed a serious list thought to be caused by water ingress just outside the port.
Taiwan International Ports said that the vessel has now sunk, with local reports suggesting that around 600 containers in total have now been lost from the vessel.
The Kaohsiung City government, the Coast Guard Administration, Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau and Fisheries Agency are coordinating efforts to retrieve the containers with the use of local boats.
It is expected the operation could take several days to complete.
The boxes are reportedly causing a hazard to the local fishing industry.
There are also concerns over possible pollution.
The vessel has around 393.4 metric tonnes of low-sulphur fuel oil on board and 91 tonnes of diesel.
Salvage options are now under consideration.
As earlier reported, the Indian Register of Shipping withdrew class from the Angel in May this year. The ship is listed as high-risk under the Tokyo MOU on port state control and has not been inspected in the region since 2018.
The ship is not entered with a protection and indemnity club member under the International Group of P&I Clubs.
The incident is likely to spoil any recent improvement in the number of shipping containers lost at sea from boxships.
According to figures from the World Shipping Council, to the end of 2021 the average number of containers lost at sea each year was 1,566.
As of the afternoon of July 24th only 206 of the 1,349 empty containers that fell into the water when container ship Angel (IMO 9256406) sank while anchored off Kaohsiung port had been recovered (IMN, July 24th).
The port company said that it had tracked down 573 of the containers, noting that 120 had been washed ashore, while 247 have sunk. The latter figure included 87 that were found, but which sank during the recovery process. Most of the containers were located in the areas off of Linyuan District in Kaohsiung and Donggang Township in Pingtung County, southwestern Taiwan.
Multiple agencies had been enlisted to recover the containers, the port company said.
The Kaohsiung Branch of Taiwan International Ports Co. was working with Kaohsiung City government, the Coast Guard Administration, Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau and the Fisheries Agency. 17 vessels were sent to retrieve the containers, many of which have been spotted floating in the water off the city’s Linyuan District and Donggang Township.
An additional problem was the approach of Typhoon Doksuri, which added a sense of urgency to the issue (see previous story). A few oil spills were also found. The Kaohsiung Branch of Taiwan International Ports Co. has dispatched a total of 39 boats since July 20th, when the captain of the Angel issued a distress message.
A salvage team checked the ship on July 23rd, sealing vents connected to the oil tanks and pumping out the oil to avoid any leakage. The tanks reportedly contained 393.4 tonnes of low sulphur fuel, 98.1 tonnes of light diesel, and 0.348 tonnes of lubricating oil.
Details about the ship’s ownership and recent operations are unclear. The Equasis database lists as the owner Navramar Shipping, which is based in the Marshall Islands. It had acquired the ship in May 2023. The ship was registered in Palau and management is listed as being located in Azerbaijan. Equasis reports it was removed from the Indian registry and by DNV as of the beginning of June, showing the vessel’s current class status as unknown. Further, the database does not list a Port State inspection since 2018.
The ship’s owner will be required by law to submit a salvage plan to the port. Officials said they are asking the managers for a plan to remove the oil from the ship, address the containers floating in the waterways, and for the eventual refloating and removal of the hulk.
2003-built, Palau-flagged, 16,145 gt Angel is owned and managed by Navramar Shipping Inc of Majuro, Marshall Islands. ISM manager is Zulu Shipping LLC of Baku, Azerbaijan.
On July 20th, 2023 at approximately 1009 local time (UTC 0209), the Palau-flagged container ship ANGEL (IMO No. 9256406), with a gross tonnage of 16145, was located about 2.8 nautical miles (5 km) from the south breakwater of the port of Kaohsiung when it lost power for unknown reasons. The hull was listed after flooding, and the Master of ANGEL declared abandonment of the ship. All 19 crew members on board were rescued, and the vessel later sank, hundreds of cargo containers fell into the sea and drifted. The prevention and control of oil pollution in this accident is in progress.
The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) has identified this event as a marine casualty according to the Transportation Occurrence Investigation Act and has referenced the Casualty Investigation Code of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). An Investigator-In-Charge has been assigned, and an investigation team has been launched to conduct the investigation.
Further information on the progress of the occurrence investigation will be published on the TTSB website.
Italian authorities have intercepted a record haul of 5.3 tonnes of cocaine, worth an estimated €850 million, off the coast of Sicily. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the seizure. The ship, sailing under the flag of the Micronesian Island state of Palau, was tracked from South America and was destined for Turkey after offloading its illicit cargo to another ship.
Italian authorities have seized 5.3 tonnes of cocaine as it was being transferred between ships off the coast of Sicily, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The Guardia di Finanza arrested five people in relation to the drug haul worth an estimated 850 million euros ($946 million), after tracking a ship from South America.
Packages thrown off the deck were collected by a fishing vessel nearby, according to surveillance aircraft footage.
The ship was sailing under the flag of the pacific island of Palau, and was to head for Turkey after offloading its haul, police officials told BBC Turkish. The drugs were intended for the domestic market in Italy, they said. Crew on the ship held Turkish, Azerbaijani and Ukrainian citizenships, while the small fishing boat was manned by Italian, French and Albanian nationals.
Colonel Gianluca Angelini said the ship, named Plutus, could have set sail from Trinidad or Venezuela.
In 2021, in a now infamous series of tell-all videos, Turkish mafia boss Sedat Peker accused ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) heavyweight and former prime minister Binali Yıldırım of involvement with drug trafficking from Venezuela. According to Peker, Yıldırım’s son Erkam had travelled to the Caribbean coast to set up a new route for the cocaine after neighbouring Colombia and Panama ramped up operations and seized more than 5.6 tonnes of the illicit substance headed for Turkey.
Major drug busts in recent months include 2.3 tonnes of cocaine earmarked for Turkey seized in Peru in March, a 290 kg shipment of cocaine in a ship sailing from Brazil to Turkey in January, and an 850 kg shipment of cocaine in Ecuador, headed for the Turkish port of Mersin in June last year.
A large container ship sank near Taiwan’s largest port Kaohsiung on Friday morning, leaving dozens of containers afloat.
The Palau-flagged ship Angel is said to have more than a gross tonnage of 16 tons, of which 1,349 were empty. Taipei-based Taiwan News reported that many containers floated in the sea after the sinking incident.
The Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) attempted to save the Palau-flagged ship, however efforts did not work out.
Nineteen crew members were evacuated, one of whom was injured.
The TIPC temporarily closed gates to the port over safety concerns caused by floating containers in the waterway.
MANILA – The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has suspended the passenger ship safety (PSS) certificate of MV Maria Helena, the ship that ran aground off the waters of Banton Island in Romblon.
In a letter sent to Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc., the operator of the grounded MV Maria Helena, MARINA said the suspension was handed down after the ship was involved in “maritime casualties and incidents such as, but not limited to, fire, engine dearrangement, grounding, collision, allision, and hitting hard objects.”
“In view thereof, the PSS of MV Maria Helena is hereby suspended until further notice from this Authority,” the letter read.
The suspension, it said, may be lifted following a thorough safety inspection by a MARINA inspector or surveyor to determine the ship’s seaworthiness.
On Sunday, 93 passengers and 36 crew were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and local passenger boats from MV Maria Helena after it ran aground about 100 meters off the nearest shoreline of Barangay Nasunugan in Banton.
When the incident occurred, the vessel was bound for San Agustin Port in Tablas, Romblon from Lucena Port in Lucena City, Quezon.
To date, the PCG has placed an oil spill boom around the grounded ship to control possible oil spill after the vessel started listing 10 degrees to portside due to an imbalance of cargoes and seawater.
It added that a wheel exploded in one of the rolling cargoes inside the vessel, causing the imbalance. (PNA)
Bulk carrier BW MATSUYAMA reportedly collided with cargo ship at Constanta Port, Romania, on Jul 9, while maneuvering to shift the berth. According to the report, the ship struck by BW MATSUYAMA sustained heavy and costly damages, totaling some 1,4 mil euro. Cost embraces destroyed or collapsed both ship’s cranes, and freight losses. The ship will have to undergo shipyard repairs. BW MATSUYAMA was detained to ensure the owner will cover the expenses. Damaged ship wasn’t identified, but most probably, it’s a Romanian general cargo ship WHITE STAR.
BW MATSUYAMA arrived at Constanta on Jul 9, to offload shipment of phosphates and to load 8,400 tons of soybeans or corn, bound for Egypt. She left Constanta in the afternoon Jul 14, reached Istanbul outer anchorage in Black sea in the morning Jul 15, and remains anchored.
The massive fire aboard a cargo ship filled with cars that took the lives of two Newark firefighters was put out after nearly a week of burning, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday morning.
Investigators said they will now begin investigating the cause of the blaze on the Italian freighter Grande Costa D'Avorio. The vessel will then be broken down for scrap.
"The salvage process could easily be one to two months," Coast Guard Capt. Zeita Merchant said during a news conference.
The most recent tests of the air and water around the ship's berth indicated they were safe, said Kevin Perry of Gallagher Marine Systems, the company that was hired by the ship's owner, Grimaldi Group, to extinguish the fire and conduct salvage operations.
Firefighters were dispatched to the Port Newark Container Terminal on July 5 at around 9:30 p.m. ET after receiving a report about multiple vehicles on fire aboard the ship.
Emergency personnel battle against a fire aboard the Italian-flagged Grande Costa d'Avorio cargo ship at the Port of Newark, July 7, 2023, in Newark, N.J.
John Minchillo/AP
The freighter was carrying used cars destined for Africa with a stop in Providence, Rhode Island, in between, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
"The decks of the ship is essentially a parking garage," Port Director Beth Rooney said. "What we had burning were components and parts of cars."
Firefighters managed to extinguish the main body of the blaze but the flames had extended to multiple levels of the vessel.
At 10:25 p.m. ET the firefighters called a "Mayday" after two firefighters were trapped inside the ship followed by a second "Mayday" call 15 minutes later, city officials said.
Two Newark firefighters, Augusta Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks, 49, were pulled out and later died at the hospital.
Newark firefighters Augusto Acabou, left, and Wayne Brooks, Jr., died battling a blaze aboard a cargo ship at Port Newark, July 5, 2023.
Newark Department of Public Safety
Acabou served in the Newark Fire Division for 9 1/2 years and was assigned to Engine 16, Tour 1, according to city officials. Brooks was a veteran of the fire department for 16 1/2 years and was assigned to Ladder 4, Tour 1.
The last time a Newark firefighter was killed on the job was in 2007.
Five other firefighters were injured in the blaze, officials said.
One of the issues encountered by the firefighters was that their two-and-a-half-inch fire hose lines weren't compatible with the boat's one-inch connections, a source close to the investigation told ABC News on Thursday.
Emergency personnel battle against a fire aboard the Italian-flagged Grande Costa d'Avorio cargo ship at the Port of Newark, July 7, 2023, in Newark, N.J.
John Minchillo/AP
Instead, the firefighters were forced to use the fire hoses on the ship, which output less water and pressure than they were used to, the source said.
The New Jersey firefighters also weren't trained to handle blazes that take place on cargo boats, the source sa
The fire on board the Grande Costa D’Avorio has been extinguished at Port Newark, New Jersey, the Unified Command announced Tuesday.
The response will now transition from shipboard firefighting operations, to investigation and salvage operations. The investigation will be led by the U.S. Coast Guard, working with the NTSB and other agencies.
The first started last Wednesday night as the vessel was loading used vehicles for export. Tragically, two firefighters were killed in the initial response and six others were injured.
“I want to share our heartfelt condolences once again to families of Newark firefighters Augusto Acabou and Wayne Brooks Jr., as well as to their colleagues, their fellow first responders, and the community they both lived in and served,” said Capt. Zeita Merchant, the captain of the port of New York and New Jersey and federal on-scene coordinator. “Their selfless sacrifice is on the minds of all involved in the response and we will never forget their acts of courage.”
The Unified Command consists of the U.S. Coast Guard, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Newark Fire Department, and Gallagher Marine Systems, representing the ship operator, Grimaldi Deep Sea SpA, part of Italy-based Grimaldi Group.
As the fire response phase concludes, the focus now shifts towards investigation and salvage operations to assess and mitigate any remaining risks or impact to port operations. Salvage operations aim to safely remove and recover the affected vessel while minimizing environmental impact.
A formal investigation will be led by the Coast Guard and also involve National Transportation Safety Board, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Jersey State Fire Marshal, New Jersey State Police, Newark Fire Arson Division, Essex County Prosecutor. The investigation will seek to determine the root causes and contributing factors of the fire.
“The safety and security of the maritime infrastructure remain paramount, and the Unified Command is committed to upholding its mission to protect the nation’s maritime interests,” The Unified Command said in a statement. ”The transition from shipboard fire response to salvage and investigation operations at Port Newark highlights the dedication, professionalism, and resilience of its personnel and partners.”
The Grande Costa d’Avorio, built in 2011, is a combination container/roll-on/roll-off (ConRo) vssel deployed on the North America-West Africa regular ro/ro service operated by Grimaldi Deep Sea. The company said the vessel was 1,200 vehicles and 157 containers when the fire started, but there are reportedly no electric vehicles or hazardous cargo aboard.
As of Sunday evening, Grande Costa D’Avorio’s 11th deck was being monitored and overhauled to address any remaining heat sources, while responders dewatered spaces to ensure the stability of the vessel.
The Port Newark Channel was reopened as of 5 p.m. Sunday. The Port of New York and New Jersey has remeind open and operational.
The cargo ship that caught fire in Newark Wednesday evening was still burning on Friday.Credit...Dakota Santiago for The New York Times
By Tracey Tully and Erin Nolan
As a fatal fire continued to burn aboard a cargo ship at Port Newark in New Jersey, emergency workers on Friday scrambled to extinguish the blaze while working to prevent an environmental disaster in the most populated region of the country.
Officials said they were trying to contain the fire from outside the ship and to cool it down without filling the vessel with too much water, which could cause it to capsize into a channel that flows into Newark Bay and, farther away, the Atlantic Ocean.
There were also concerns about the heavy smoke still spewing from the Italian cargo ship, the Grande Costa d’Avorio, which is carrying 1,200 vehicles, many of them at least partially filled with gasoline and oil.
“We are fully aware of the potential environmental impacts, including air quality, and minimizing any adverse effects to the environment,” said Capt. Zeita Merchant, a regional commander for the U.S. Coast Guard, which has taken over control of the firefighting operation.
“Our efforts,” she added, “are dedicated to containing and mitigating pollution.”
Tom Wiker, president of Gallagher Marine Systems, a company hired by the vessel’s owner to oversee the recovery effort, said the company was monitoring water and air quality. Sulfur dioxide levels in the air near the ship had spiked twice to an unsafe range before dissipating, he said.
“There is no reported release of oil from the vessel as of yet,” Mr. Wiker said Friday during a news conference in the port.
The ship itself, however, is listing, awakening memories of a long-ago disaster in New York Harbor. In February 1942, the Normandie, a French ocean liner docked at a Manhattan pier, capsized after one of the most spectacular fires in the history of the New York waterfront. It took 17 months to remove the vessel from the Hudson River.
“Our goal is to always get it back to what we call an even keel, which is level,” said Gordon Lorenson, a project manager at Donjon Marine, a salvage and dredging company involved in the firefighting effort.
On Friday, nearly two days after cars aboard the cargo ship first burst into flames, firefighters were sending multiple streams of water onto the deck of the Grande Costa d’Avorio as thick, dark smoke billowed from its top decks. At the same time, water cascaded from gaping, charred holes in the ship’s exterior and into the water below like a murky waterfall.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Two firefighters were killed battling an overnight fire aboard a cargo ship in Port Newark.
Officials said multiple vehicles on the ship caught fire around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the flames spread to at least two floors above.
CBS New York's John Dias and Zinnia Maldonado have live team coverage from the scene this morning, and this is what we have learned about the ship so far.
Grande Costa D'Avorio
The ship was built in 2011 and sails under the flag of Italy, because it's owned by one of the country's leading ship owners, a family-owned company called the Grimaldi Group. The company specializes in the maritime transport of cars, as well as shipping containers.
"Sadly, during the firefighting operations, Grimaldi Deep Sea were informed that two fire fighterslost
their lives. All Company's thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with their families and team
currently," the company said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "At this time, it is not known how the fire started but the Company will undertake a full investigation in close cooperation with all relevant authorities."
Where it came from
The ship traveled from Baltimore on a roughly two-day journey and was docked at Corbin and Marsh streets.
What it's carrying
The ship is capable of carrying more than 47,000 tons. A source briefed on the situation told CBS New York it was loaded with used cars apparently headed overseas to be refurbished and sold.
Largest port on East Coast
Officially called the Port Newark Container Terminal, it spans about 272 acres.
What's still unknown
While the firefighters have since been identified, we are still waiting to learn more about the cause of the fire.
New photos taken on Thursday show the progress that is being made in respect of clearance operations for OS 35.
Earlier this week, the Captain of the Port has confirmed the operation to raise both sections of the OS 35 wreck out of the water was successfully completed on Monday, with subsequent surveys of the seabed beginning on Tuesday to ensure that the wreck site of the OS 35 is completely cleare. Once these are fully concluded, the operation will draw to a close.
KOOLE are pleased to announce a major milestone in the MV OS 35 wreck removal project! The KOOLE team successfully loaded the complete wreck onto their semi-submersible vessel “FJORD” as planned and engineered.
This is a significant accomplishment for the project as well as for the company.
The successful completion of the project was due to their hardworking crew and their dedication throughout this project. Also included in the success are their subcontractors and other stakeholders with their valuable assistance and support.
The bulk carrier OS 35 collided with LNG tanker Adam LNG in the Port of Gibraltar on 29 August 2022 as it was manoeuvring to exit. Although the tanker only suffered minor damage, the OS 35 was making water at the bow and was directed to a location off Catalan Bay on the east side of the Gibraltan Peninsula to beach and prevent it from sinking.
Both sections of the OS35 wreck have now been loaded onto the semi-submersible heavylift vessel Fjord, with salvors now cleaning the ship as preparations continue to transport the wreck to a specialist yard for scrapping.
Yesterday, salvors were cleaning both sections of the ship in a bid to ensure it is in good condition to travel safely to Holland, where the wreck will go to a scrapping yard.
Booms currently surround the vessel as a precaution to contain any spillages as the two sections of the ship are secured for transportation.
Photos by Johnny Bugeja
BY NATHAN BARCIOShare Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter
6th July 2023
Both sections of the OS35 wreck have now been loaded onto the semi-submersible heavylift vessel Fjord, with salvors now cleaning the ship as preparations continue to transport the wreck to a specialist yard for scrapping.
Yesterday, salvors were cleaning both sections of the ship in a bid to ensure it is in good condition to travel safely to Holland, where the wreck will go to a scrapping yard.
Booms currently surround the vessel as a precaution to contain any spillages as the two sections of the ship are secured for transportation.
A spokesperson for the Gibraltar Port Authority confirmed that as of now, there have been no spillages during this final stage of the operation, with the preventative booms to be removed within the coming days.
Once the ship is clean, with spillage possibilities on the journey eliminated, the journey to Holland will commence.
The spokesperson also confirmed that refuge ports are included in contingency plans for the journey, in case of unexpected circumstances such as bad weather in certain parts of the trip.
It is estimated that “weather permitting”, it will take around two weeks for the semi-submersible ship to reach its final destination, with a chance of a quicker journey if weather conditions permit.
THE OS 35 bulk carrier will finally leave Gibraltar’s Catalan Bay Friday afternoon aboard a huge barge just over ten months after it beached there following a bay accident.
The mammoth Fjord semi-submersible barge that scooped it up Tuesday will carry it off to the Eastern Anchorage south of Eastern Beach after weeks of work lifting the two parts of the OS 35 from the seabed.
A controlled oil leak occurred on Tuesday afternoon when the heavy lift platform picked up the stern and bow sections of the bulker that had broken last winter during heavy storms.
Workers then sucked out all the oil from around the Fjord barge while lifting the barge out of the water.
Just before the ship sails to the Eastern Anchorage, workers will finally remove the preventive boom that contained the spill and stopped another ecological disaster.
Captain of Gibraltar Port John Ghio has declared the removal by Dutch contractors Koole Ltd a ‘success’ after the ‘detailed planning’ that went into the operation.
Workers aboard the Fjord will now make sure the ship sitting atop the barge is securely fastened for the next two weeks before it sails to the Netherlands.
Once there, the contractors will likely break it up further, recycle the metal or sink it to create an artificial reef.
“This is a significant accomplishment for the project as well as for our company,” Koole Ltd said in statement on its website.
“We want to express our pride in our hardworking crew and their dedication throughout this project.”
The beaching of the OS 35 700 metres from Catalan Bay attracted global media attention, especially from international shipping media.
“The conclusion of the salvage operation demonstrates the industry’s commitment to safety, environmental protection, and efficient maritime operations,” Marine Insight said.
“The marine industry recognizes the importance of prompt and effective responses to such incidents to maintain the integrity of shipping operations and protect marine ecosystems.”
But Gibraltar marine charity The Nautilus Group told The Olive Press that sealife would be hurting for a whole decade after oil leaks from the accident.
The incident sparked off when the OS 35 left the Bay of Gibraltar on August 29 and collided with the anchor chain of another ship, the Adam LNG, opening up a ten metre gash in the hull.
As it took on water, the port directed it to a location off Catalan Bay where it beached and gradually broke apart over the winter.
A Gibraltar court declared the Syrian captain of the OS 35 bulker guilty of negligence for his part in the incident but allowed him to go free with a suspended sentence.
The salvage operation to remove the wreck of the bulker OS 35 off Gibraltar was largely completed on July 3. The two sections of the hulk have now been removed from the ocean 10 months after the vessel hit an anchored gas carrier and sank to the seafloor near one of Gibraltar’s beaches.
“I’m delighted that we have finally reached this important milestone,” said the Minister for the Port, Vijay Daryanani, announcing the hulk had raised. “I’d like to thank all those who continue to work towards the ultimate goal of the final departure of the OS 35 from Gibraltar’s waters with safety and environmental protection as the top priority.”
The two sections of the bulker, which had measured 584 feet, were transferred onto the semi-submersible, heavy-lift vessel Fjord. Port officials announced today that the two sections of the hull were now safely aboard the lift ship and raised above the water.
The Fjord is expected to remain in Gibraltar for a couple of weeks, as the hull sections are further secured and sea-fastened in preparation for the voyage to the final decommissioning site in the Netherlands. Once preliminary work is completed in securing the hull sections, as well as the clearing of the residues from within the oil containment boom, the Fjord will move from its current location to a suitable anchorage berth.
Currently, the salvage team is commencing a survey of the seabed. They are looking for any additional pieces of the vessel or debris that will be removed before they complete the operation.
As was anticipated, the raising of the two sections of the hull out of the water released residues, including heavy oil residues. As a precaution, they had strung a protective boom, which captured most of the oil released. Work is ongoing to clear the residues within the boomed area and to tackle the consequent sheening which is coming off the boomed section.
The lifting of the hulk brings to a close the incident that began on August 30, 2022, when the OS 35, registered in Tuvalu, a 35,000 dwt bulker hit the anchored 162,000 cbm Adam LNG tanker. Reports indicated that the bulker which was laden with a cargo of steel rods hit the anchor chain of the gas carrier pulling her into the forward portion of the bulker. Taking on water, the bulker was ultimately directed to the position where her bow settled to the sea floor. The salvage team later decided to sink the stern to the seabed but winter storms caused the vessel to break into two pieces.
The master of the OS 35 pleaded guilty in a Gibraltar court to counts related to the accident. He was given a suspended sentence.
KHO Shipping Lines strengthens the route of Mintac Port, Cataingan, Masbate to Pier 4, Port Area, Cebu and vice versa through the introduction and addition of its new roll on/roll off vessel, the 𝗠/𝗩 𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗭𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥.
The vessel was the former M/V Lady of Rule of Medallion Transport Inc and was acquired by Kho Shipping Lines in 2021 as part of its aggressive fleet expansion program.
The vessel has a length overall of 64.6 meters and a breadth of 14.8 meters. She has a passenger capacity of 538 passengers which is composed of economy, tourist, and 8 VIP class accommodations. The vessel can accommodate up to 16 10-wheeler trucks and 6 4-wheeler vehicles enough for local and connecting shippers who prefer traveling directly to Cebu City.
This new vessel will complement its existing vessel: M/V Cataingan which is currently serving the Cebu to Mintac Port, Cataingan, Masbate route.
The 𝗠/𝗩 𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗭𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥 will be having its blessing and open house on February 8, 2022, Tuesday while its maiden voyage is set on February 9 2022 Wednesday at 8 o’clock in the evening.
OFFICIAL VESSEL SCHEDULE:
MINTAC PORT, CATAINGAN, MASBATE TO CEBU PIER 4 – Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Departure: 8:00PM, Kho Container Port and Terminal Services, Mintac, Cataingan, Masbate
Arrival: 4:00AM, Pier 4, Cebu City
CEBU PIER 4 to MINTAC PORT, CATAINGAN, MASBATE – Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Departure: 8:00PM, Pier 4, Cebu City
Arrival: 4:00AM, Kho Container Port and Terminal Services, Mintac, Cataingan, Masbate
Vehicle:
10-Wheeler Truck – 16,000.00 (free fare for 1 driver and 2 crew)
8-Wheeler Truck – 14,000.00 (free fare for 1 driver and 1 crew)
6-Wheeler Truck – 12,000.00 (free fare for 1 driver and 1 crew)
SUVs/Pick up/Van – 7,000.00 (free fare for 1 driver)
Sedan/Hatchback – 6,000.00 (free fare for 1 driver)
Motorcycle – 2,000.00
Visit the Cebu Ticketing Office of Kho Shipping Lines located at Arellano Boulevard, Cebu Pier 3, Brgy. Tinago, Cebu City (Across Philippine Coast Guard Cebu Office). Here’s the contact number: CEBU CITY OFFICE BRANCH – 0966-567-5317 and MINTAC CATAINGAN OFFICE BRANCH 0970-669-2151
To know more information please visit and message the Official FB Page of Kho Shipping Lines:
Members of the Philippine Coast Guard and local fishermen conduct a firefighting and rescue operation after a passenger-cargo vessel, MV Esperanza Star, caught fire in the vicinity of waters off Panglao, Bohol on Sunday. Around 55-65 passengers were onboard the vessel, which departed from Port Lazi, Siquuijor going to Port of Tagbilaran, according to Coast Guard Tagbilaran.
General cargo ship TAISEI MARU No. 21 ran aground at around 0100 Jun 7 Tokyo time at Kogochi Island tip, Okayama Prefecture, Inner Japan sea, while en route from Takasago, Hyogo Prefecture, to Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture. No visible hull damages, no leak reported, 5 crew are safe. Tug is already on the scene, waiting for high tide. Ship’s AIS off for long time.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Environmental Crime Division on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint against 35 individuals over the Oriental Mindoro oil spill.
The respondents are facing a complaint for falsification of public documents, use of falsified documents, and perjury over an allegedly falsified certificate of public convenience (CPC).
Included among the respondents were RDC Reield Marine Services, the company that owns the MT Princess Empress that caused the oil spill, the ship crew, and personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).
“RDC Reield directors are presumed to be authors of the falsified document as they were in possession of the same and made use of the document. They also benefited from the use of the falsified document,” Justice Department spokesman Mico Clavano said in a media briefing.
“The PCG is liable as they conduct pre-departure inspections for domestic oil tankers prior to voyage. And first and foremost on their checklist is to check the validity of the CPC,” he added.
Meanwhile, Clavano said other documents falsified were a construction certificate, tonnage measurement certificate, certificate of ownership, and certificate of Philippine registry.
“The officials from Marina and RDC… conspired for the purpose of illegally registering the MT Princess Empress with false documents,” Clavano said.
For his part, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said the construction certificate, the tonnage measurement certificate, and the certificate of Philippine Registry indicated that the MT Princess Empress was allegedly constructed in Bataan.
“But in actuality, it was constructed in Navotas. And based on Marina policies, the office or the Marina Regional Office that should certify this ship should have been the place where the construction was made or the head office of the ship owner or any branch thereof,” Vasquez said.
“Based on the investigation, the ones who signed off on the registration are regional officers of Region V. These two persons, the regional director there and the… head of shipyard, they’re already transferred here because of the ongoing administrative investigation against them that was initiated by Marina,” he added.
Clavano, meanwhile, said the DOJ is still looking into whether they would file environmental crimes and graft and corruption charges in the following weeks.
GMA News Online has sought comment from the respondents, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.
For its part, the RDC maintained that the MT Princess Empress was a newly built vessel.
“MT Princess Empress is a newly built vessel that fully complies with all the requirements and procedures set by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the vessel's classification society (ORS)," the RDC said.
"We will let the facts and our evidence speak for themselves in due time," it added.
Meanwhile, PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said they will wait for the official document before issuing a statement.
"We respect the decision of DOJ but we will wait for the official document so we can have a basis to issue our statement," he told GMA News Online.
The MT Princess Empress sank on February 28 off Naujan while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
Pilot falls — and faulty pilot ladders — continue to be a cause for concern. Now the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says it has secured a win for pilot safety, following the successful prosecution of a master and company in the Perth Magistrates Court on May 23, 2023.
The prosecution was brought after an incident on August 24 in which a pilot was injured when disembarking the Cyprus-flagged cargo ship AAL Dampier as it was departing the Port of Fremantle.
While departing the AAL Dampier via the pilot ladder, the ropes parted, causing the pilot to fall approximately 7 meters onto the deck of the pilot vessel, which was traveling alongside the ship.
The pilot vessel urgently transported the pilot to hospital for treatment for serious injuries.
AMSA inspectors and specialist investigators boarded the vessel and seized a portion of the pilot ladder ropes, which were later found to be seriously defective and in a poor state.
“The shocking condition of the ropes was likely due to inappropriate storage and ineffective inspection maintenance procedures,” says AMSA.
The vessel owner. AAL Dampier Navigation Co Ltd, (part of the AAL Group) pleaded guilty to an offense under Marine Order 21 (Safety and Emergency Arrangements) 2016 for failing to ensure pilot transfer arrangements in place were in accordance with the relevant regulations and was fined AUD 30,500 (about US $20,000).
The master of the vessel pleaded guilty to two offenses, one under Marine Order 21 (Safety and Emergency Arrangements) 2016 for failing to ensure the disembarkation of a pilot was carried out in accordance with the relevant regulations and one under the Navigation Act 2012 for taking an unseaworthy vessel to sea, and was fined a total of AUD 5,500 (about US$ 3,600).
AMSA Executive Director of Operations Michael Drake said he hoped the conviction would deter other vessels from compromising on marine pilot safety.
“Marine pilots have a critical and high-risk job, even in the best of conditions, and it is imperative that vessels meet safety standards to prevent s
Fastcat ferry M V ST JHUDIEL with 197 passengers on board collided with deck cargo ship LCT POSEIDON 23 in the afternoon May 21 in Cebu waters near Cebu-Mactan bridge. LCT was carrying 17 vehicles and some 20 passengers, drivers and cargo movers. Collision, reportedly, was caused by ferry steering and engine failure. Ferry bow was severely damaged, but she reached pier and was berthed, some 30 or 35 passengers sustained injures, 13 of them had to be taken to hospital.
Two bodies of missing crew members had been recovered as of Thursday afternoon as China’s Ministry of Transport has been making all-out efforts to search for and salvage the Chinese deep-sea fishing vessel that capsized and was wrecked on Tuesday in the central Indian Ocean.
The wrecked fishing vessel Lupeng Yuanyu 028, owned by Shandong Province-based Penglai Jinglu Fishery, capsized and sank about 5,000 kilometers west of Perth, Australia, early on Tuesday, with 39 crew members on board missing -- 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and five Filipinos, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
As of 2 pm on Thursday, 10 ships including nine sent by China were participating in the search and rescue operation.
Overcoming difficulties such as the high risk of operation at night and poor sea conditions in the area, three fishing vessels including the Ming De and Lupeng Yuanyu 087, and three naval ships, arrived on Wednesday and early Thursday morning, bringing the total number of rescue ships to nine in the area where the vessel capsized and sank, according to an official from the Transport Ministry.
The nine ships dispatched found a few floating objects such as woven bags and plastic baskets at the spot.
It is expected that two more ships -- the De Tian dispatched by the ministry and the Shandong Delong belonging to Shandong Shipping Corp -- will arrive at the spot on Friday afternoon and join the rescue mission.
Apart from the Chinese ships, Australia sent three fixed-wing aircraft and India sent one fixed-wing aircraft to participate in the rescue on Wednesday. Australia will send more fixed-wing aircraft on Thursday.
On Wednesday and early on Thursday, Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng and other officials restudied and redeployed the search and rescue mission for the capsized and sunk fishing boat. Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry kept in close communication with China’s Foreign Ministry and its Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to strengthen coordination and send more rescue forces.
The Chinese authorities will continue to coordinate with Australia, India and other neighboring countries to send additional search and rescue forces from their maritime search and rescue agencies, broadcast voyage warnings and assist in the search and rescue operation.
17th May 2023 – (Beijing) The Chinese-owned and flagged fishing vessel “Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028” capsized in the central Indian Ocean on Tuesday, 16th May at around 3am local time. There were 39 people on board the vessel at the time of the incident, including 17 Chinese crew members, 17 Indonesian crew members, and 5 Filipino crew members. All 39 individuals are currently missing, and search and rescue efforts are currently underway.
Upon hearing of the incident, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued an important directive, calling for the immediate activation of emergency response mechanisms. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, and the Shandong Provincial Government have all been instructed to verify the situation, increase the number of rescue personnel, coordinate with international search and rescue efforts, and do everything possible to carry out the rescue mission.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry and relevant embassies abroad have also been instructed to strengthen communication with local authorities and coordinate efforts in the search and rescue mission. In addition, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have called for the further strengthening of safety inspections and risk warnings for offshore operations, to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.
In accordance with the directives of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, and the Shandong Provincial Government have activated emergency response mechanisms and are organising rescue efforts. Other relevant rescue forces are also being mobilised to the area where the vessel capsized. The Chinese Maritime Search and Rescue Center has notified relevant countries, and rescue teams from Australia and other countries are also assisting in the search. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also initiated an emergency response mechanism to coordinate with relevant embassies in Australia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, and the Philippines to actively carry out search and rescue operations.
LUPENGYUANYU017, similar to the ship that sank. (North Pacific Fisheries Commission)
Reports Wednesday said 39 people are missing more than 24 hours after a Chinese fishing boat operating in the Indian Ocean capsized.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the accident happened around 3 a.m. Tuesday. The report said the crew includes 17 from China, 17 from Indonesia and five from the Philippines.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang have ordered Chinese diplomats abroad, as well as the agriculture and transportation ministries, to assist in the search for survivors.
“All-out efforts” must be made in the rescue operation, Xi was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency. Li ordered unspecified measures to “reduce casualties and strengthen safety management of fishing vessels at sea to ensure safe maritime transport and production,” Xinhua said.
No word was given on the cause of the capsizing.
Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines have also expressed their willingness to join in the search. Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency said the capsizing occurred about 4,600 kilometers (2,900 miles) northwest of Australia.
Several ships and an Australian Defense Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft have been searching the area. The Indian Ocean stretches from South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula to east Africa and western Australia. No survivors or life rafts have been spotted.
The Philippine Coast Guard Command Center said Wednesday it was monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Chinese Embassy in Manila, as well as search and rescue teams operating near the vessel’s last known location.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it was coordinating the search in what it called a remote location in the Indian Ocean, about 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) northwest of the coastal city of Perth. It said the agency received a distress beacon signal from the fishing vessel at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, Australian time, and that weather conditions in the area Tuesday were “extreme," but had improved by Wednesday.
Merchant and fishing vessels in the area were also searching for survivors Wednesday.
A Perth-based Challenger rescue aircraft will drop a buoy to help with drift modelling to further assist in the search, the agency said.
The Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028 was based in the eastern coastal province of Shandong, operated by the Penglai Jinglu Fishery Co. Ltd., according to the reports. Another Chinese vessel, Lu Peng Yuan Yu 018, is operating near to the upturned hull and has been asked to conduct a grid search for survivors, according to the Indonesian agency.
China is believed to operate the world’s largest fishing fleet. Many of them stay at sea for months or even years at a time, supported by Chinese state maritime security agencies and a sprawling network of support vessels.
Along the Bay of Bengal at the Indian Ocean’s northern end, Myanmar and Bangladesh were undergoing recovery from a powerful cyclone that smashed into their coastlines, causing widespread destruction and at least 21 deaths, with hundreds of others believed missing.
Chinese squid fishing ships have been documented using wide nets to illegally catch already overfished tuna as part of a surge in unregulated activity in the Indian Ocean, according to a report released in 2021 by a Norway-based watchdog group that highlighted growing concerns about the lack of international cooperation to protect marine species on the high seas.
The group, called Trygg Mat Tracking, found that the number of squid vessels in the high seas of the Indian Ocean — where fishing of the species is not regulated — has increased six-fold since 2016.
The U.S. Coast Guard was also involved in a dangerous confrontation with Chinese vessels not far from Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands in 2022 during a mission to inspect the vessels for any signs of illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing.
Chinese fishing vessels operating illegally are known to sail "dark," with their mandatory tracking device that gives a ship’s position either switched off, transmitting intermittently, or providing false identifiers.
In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was believed to have gone down somewhere in the Indian Ocean with 239 people aboard. That Boeing 777, which remains missing, became invisible to civilian radar when its transponder locating device stopped transmitting during a flight from Kuala Lumpur.
BEIJING, May 17 (Reuters) - A Chinese fishing vessel with 39 crew members on board has capsized in the Indian ocean and President Xi Jinping has ordered that all efforts be made to search for survivors, state media reported on Wednesday.
The distant-water fishing vessel "Lupeng Yuanyu 028", owned by Penglai Jinglu Fishery Co Ltd based in Shandong province, capsized early on Tuesday, state-run CCTV reported.
The 39 people on board - 17 Chinese crew members, 17 Indonesians and five from the Philippines - were missing, CCTV said.
MANILA, Philippines — The owner of the sunken oil tanker which caused an oil spill in the waters of Oriental Mindoro was a no show at a House of Representatives hearing on Tuesday, much to the dismay of lawmakers.
The House committee on ecology and natural resources probe on the MT Princess Empress was only attended by several agencies, including the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Department of Justice, while only the captain of the sunken ship and his lawyer, with no other representatives, were present.
Cement carrier CHUNG YANG suffered engine failure early morning May 6 some 3 nm off South Korea coast north of Pohang, while en route from Donghae to Masan. Maritime Safety Service was alerted at around 0300 Seoul time, disabled ship with 15 crew was drifting in northern direction, dangerously close to coast. Understood she anchored and is waiting for weather improvement, to be taken on tow by tug. Tug is on standby, waiting weather improvement. Rough weather prevented immediate crew evacuation.
Three seafarers are missing from an Aframax tanker Pablo which caught fire off the coast of Malaysia on Monday.
Marcus Hand
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said it received an alert on Monday that fire had broken out at 4pm on the Gabon-registered vessel 37.5 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Sedili.
Two vessels in the vicinity rescued 23 of the 28 crew onboard while an MMEA vessel sent to the scene picked-up two seafarers from the water. According to the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) 18 of the crew were rescued by the tanker Enola.
Three seafarers from the stricken tanker remain missing.
The MPA named the tanker involved in the fire as the Gabon-registered Pablo. The Equasis database lists the Pablo as a 1997-built, 96,773 dwt tanker.
Owner and manager are listed Pablo Union Shipping registered in the Marshall Islands with ownership and management transferred to the single ship company in early April. At the beginning of April the vessel changed name from Mockingbird when it was also reflagged with Gabon, its previous flag listed as “unknown”.
Bangkok, May 2 (EFE).- Malaysian authorities were searching Tuesday for three sailors who disappeared after a fire sank a tanker, carrying 28 crew members, in the country’s southeastern waters.
Two boats close to the ship rescued 23 crew members who had jumped into the water alive after the incident, while two others were saved from the burning ship, the Malaysian Maritime Control Agency said in a Tuesday statement.
The Malaysian agency received an alert signal Monday afternoon from a Gabonese-flagged cargo ship, which left China bound for Singapore, and which was some 37 nautical miles from the coastal town of Tanjung Sedili.
After the rescue of 25 of the crew members, authorities carried out a search operation for the three missing sailors.
The agency also said it had opened an investigation to determine the causes of the sinking. EFE
May 03 UPDATE: 3 crew members died in explosion, which ripped off cargo deck and made PABLO look like giant hopper barge. We see a classic ballast tanker disaster – hot works on cargo deck of tanker with not degassed tanks, full of explosive fumes. Of 3 dead seamen, 2 were Indians, 1 Ukrainian. Tanker Master is reportedly, Ukrainian too, according to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) report. Fire was already extinguished, because there wasn’t much to be on fire, actually. Tanker now is a wreck afloat, seemingly in no danger of sinking.
May 01 1600 UTC UPDATE: 25 crew were rescued by nearby ships, 3 crew are missing. No details on fire and its’ cause yet.
Aframax crude oil tanker PABLO is reportedly, on fire in South China sea at Singapore outer anchorage. No other details available at the moment. Last AIS position received at 1500 LT May 1. The ship arrived at anchorage on Apr 30 from China, bound for UAE, so she should be in ballast.
マーシャル諸島船籍のMT PETITE SOEURは無傷でシエラレオネ籍船のMV HONG HAI 189が転覆したと記事では書かれているが、自分にはどうしても転覆していない船はドレッジャーに見える。マーシャル諸島船籍のMT PETITE SOEURの写真を検索して謎が解けた。写真は転覆したMV HONG HAI 189と同型船か、同じタイプの船（MV HONG HAI 199の可能性は高い）が一緒に取られていて、同日に出港停止命令を受けたマーシャル諸島船籍のMT PETITE SOEURは他の場所に移動しているから、マーシャル諸島船籍のMT PETITE SOEURが関連事故のニュースに乗っていないと推測した。
転覆した船は少なくとも船尾に二つの舵がある。MV HONG HAI 189の船尾の写真から判断すると、MV HONG HAI 189の船尾には舵が二つある。マーシャル諸島船籍のMT PETITE SOEURの船尾の写真を見ると舵が一つだけだ。そして、シエラレオネ籍船のMV HONG HAI 199と呼ばれる船の写真があることから、写真は２隻のドレッジャーだと思う。
上記の船はHONG HAI 189 IMO 835554とHONG HAI 199の写真のようだ。名前が似ているのと２隻ともシエラレオネ籍船らしい。しかしIMO番号がおかしい。HONG HAI 199のIMO: 8355566やIMO 8654637と書かれているサイトがある。これだけ大きな船でシエラレオネ籍船なのに、IMO番号ではなく、内航中国船籍のようにMMSI番号なのが凄くあやしい。
マーシャル諸島船籍のMT PETITE SOEURは無傷でシエラレオネ籍船のMV HONG HAI 189が転覆したと記事では書かれているが、自分にはどうしても転覆していない船はドレッジャーに見える。フィリピン沿岸警備隊が素人なのか、自分が素人なのだろうか？
CAPSIZED | The dredging vessel MV Hong Hai 189 floats belly up in waters off Corregidor Island on Saturday morning, after it capsized following a collision with the bigger chemical-petrol tanker MT Petite Soeur the night before. Two crew members of the dredger died and three others are missing. The rest of its 20-man crew were rescued. The Petite Soeur did not sustain any damage and all its 21 crew members are safe. (Photo from the Philippine Coast Guard)
MANILA, Philippines — Two crew members of a foreign dredging vessel — a Filipino and a Chinese — died after their ship collided with a chemical-petrol tanker in the waters between Corregidor Island and Mariveles, Bataan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Saturday.
Three other Chinese crewmen are missing.
The collision between the 140-meter dredger MV Hong Hai 189 and the 183-meter MT Petite Soeur, which occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, caused the smaller ship to capsize, PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said.
The Petite Soeur, flagged in Marshall Islands, wasn’t damaged, he said.
Other details of the incident were not immediately available, including the direction the ships were traveling and their destinations.
The Sierra Leone-flagged Hong Hai’s last port call was Botolan, Zambales, and Petite Soeur’s was Mariveles, Bataan.
Corregidor, located at the mouth of Manila Bay, is just 5.56 kilometers from Mariveles, but it is under the jurisdiction and administrative management of Cavite City, around 35 km away.
Chinese vessel Heng Da 19, which was near the area when the collision occurred, reported to the PCG that it had rescued 16 of Hong Hai’s 20 crew members — 16 Chinese and four Filipinos. Fourteen were being cared for on Heng Da, and two were rushed to a hospital.
The MV Hong Hai 189 and MT Petite Soeur collided in the waters of Corregidor Island on April 29, 2023. (Photo from the PCG)
MANILA, Philippines — Two foreign ships collided in the waters off Corregidor Island, leaving at least two people dead and three others missing, said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday.
“The [PCG] responds to a collision between MV Hong Hai 189 and MT Petite Soeur at the vicinity waters off Corregidor Island yesterday, 28 April 2023,” said the Philippine Coast Guard in a statement.
The MV Hong Hai 189 had 20 crew members, with 16 of them rescued. However, one of them, a Filipino crew member, would later die in the hospital after his rescue.
The other casualty was a Chinese seaman, whose body was recovered at sea, said the PCG.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing for three others who were reported missing.
“The Coast Guard Sub-Station Corregidor was informed that MV Hong Hai 189 already capsized,” said the PCG.
Meanwhile, the PCG said that “all 21 crew of MT Petite Soeur were in good physical condition.”
According to the PCG, the MV Hong Hai 189 was a dredger under the flag of Sierra Leone. It was last ported in Botolan, Zambales.
The MT Petite Soeur was a chemical oil tanker, and is under the flag of the Marshall Islands. It had last docked in Mariveles, Bataan.
上記の船はHONG HAI 189 IMO 835554とHONG HAI 199の写真のようだ。名前が似ているのと２隻ともシエラレオネ籍船らしい。しかしIMO番号がおかしい。HONG HAI 199のIMO: 8355566やIMO 8654637と書かれているサイトがある。これだけ大きな船でシエラレオネ籍船なのに、IMO番号ではなく、内航中国船籍のようにMMSI番号なのが凄くあやしい。
下記の記事の写真が正しければ、転覆したのはシエラレオネ籍船のMV HONG HAI 189ではなく、マーシャル諸島船籍のMT PETITE SOEURだと思う。誰も間違いに気付かないのかな？
Product tanker PETITE SOEURの長さは183mなのでHONG HAI 189の長さが140mであれば同じ大きさだと思う。MV HONG HAI 189の国籍がシエラレオネ籍船なのでまともな保険会社なのか個人的には疑問。まともな船主であれば普通、船をシエラレオネ籍船に登録なんてしないと思う。
Tanker PETITE SOEUR reportedly collided with MV HONG HAI 189, at around 2200 LT Apr 28 north of Corregidor island, Manila Bay. HONG HAI 189 capsized and sank, of 20 crew 16 were rescued, 1 found dead, 3 remain missing. On photos and videos capsized ship’s bottom is seen, with dredger at her side, most probably engaged in rescue operation. It is not therefore, clear yet, what type of ship was HONG HAI 189 – general cargo ship according to EQUASIS, or dredger, according to local sources. Tanker was to proceed to Manila from Total Philippines Corp oil terminal, she was taken to Limay anchorage after collision.
General cargo ship or dredger or hopper HONG HAI 189, IMO 9088598, length 140 meters, flag Sierra Leone.
Product tanker PETITE SOEUR, IMO 9448712, dwt 50420, built 2011, flag Marshall islands, ISM manager NORDEN SYNERGY SHIP MGMT AS.
COLLISION OFF CORREGIDOR Two foreign vessels collide off Corregidor Island on Friday, resulting in the death of a crewmember of one of the ships. A Sierra Leone-flagged dredger capsized following the collision.
TWO foreign vessels collided off Corregidor Island Friday, resulting in the death of a crewmember of one of the ships.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said those involved in the collision were Sierra Leone-flagged dredger MV Hong Hai 189 and Marshall-flagged chemical oil product tanker MT Petite Soeur.
The PCG said its sub-station in Corregidor was informed that MV Hong Hai 189 capsized following the collision.
The body of a Chinese crewmember was recovered by the search and rescue (SAR) at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
They also rescued two others who were brought to the nearest hospital for identification and medical assistance.
The vessel near the vicinity of the accident rescued 16 of the 20 crew of MV Hong Hai 189.
Meanwhile, all 21 crew of MT Petite Soeur were safe.
The Coast Guard Aviation Force is currently conducting an aerial survey to augment the SAR operations on a missing crewmember while the PCG vessel, BRP Capones, proceeded to the vicinity of the mishap.
The PCG dispatched another vessel including aluminum boats and rubber boats, to assist the SAR operations.
The authorities have detained the MT Petite Soeur pending results of their inspection.
A vessel that ran aground during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) last December caught fire off Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu Friday afternoon.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) identified the vessel as MV Diamond Highway which was undergoing salvage operations when it caught fire at around 2:20 p.m.
As of press time, the PCG said the Coast Guard Sub-Station Lapu-Lapu and Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU)-Central Visayas continue to assist the BFP Lapu-Lapu in trying to put out the fire.
At the same time, MTUG Stargas with firefighting capabilities already proceeded to the location to provide necessary assistance.
The operations manager of MV Diamond Highway, Arnel Villaganas, informed fire investigators that the blaze started from the starboard bow while cutting the vessel's scrap metals.
Pilipinas Precious Metal Resources Inc. (PPMRI) supervisor Butch Orasaga, on the other hand, said they safely disembarked all personnel conducting scrap operations when the fire started.
Zodiac Maritime’s 2014-built Indian Partnership capesize bulk carrier hit a reef in the Seram Sea in eastern Indonesia yesterday.
The ship was carrying a cargo of bauxite from Australia to China when it struck the reef, with the hull breached and quickly taking on water.
The ship can be seen listing to starboard and down at the head, in images released by the Indonesian navy.
“After hitting the reef, the vessel proceeded under her own power to shallow water near Misool Island, Indonesia where she is now safely afloat at anchor,” a spokesperson for Zodiac Maritime said.
Apr 26: ZODIAC Statement:
The Zodiac Maritime operated vessel INDIAN PARTNERSHIP, in the Ceram Sea, while on course to China carrying bauxite ore, hit an uncharted reef which pierced her forward ballast tanks on the starboard side at UTC 19:05 on 22nd April 2023.
After hitting the reef, the vessel proceeded under her own power to shallow water near Misool Island, Indonesia where she is now safely afloat at anchor. Water ingress was contained to the ballast tanks. Divers are at the vessel now and are conducting underwater repairs. The vessel is stable.
he mixed nationality crew of 22 are all safe and unharmed. There is no pollution.
The crew on board, with support from our shore based teams, are working closely with local authorities.
Apr 25: Capesize bulk carrier INDIAN PARTNERSHIP in load, ran aground at Misool island east coast, Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua, Ceram sea, Indonesia. The ship strayed off course, and ran aground on reefs at around 0820 LT (UTC +9) Apr 23, being en route from Australia to China. Ship’s starboard underwater hull was breached in fore area, resulting in massive water ingress Ship is reportedly, resting on bottom, with fore tilt and starboard list. 22 all-Chinese crew remain on board. Local authorities are having communication language problem with crew on board, salvage plan and salvage company yet unknown. Ship’s loaded with 178,000 tons of bauxite ore.
Italian authorities in Venice found some 850 kg of cocaine on a ship belonging to the well-known Greek shipowner Panagiotis Laskaridis.
Skyfrost, a Greek-registered reefer, along side the Russian reefer Pamyat Ilicha, at Discovery Bay, Antarctica. Photo: Greenpeace/Paul Hilton
Italian authorities, after searching a Greek-owned vessel in Venice, found a large amount of cocaine, some 850 kg, worth about 150 million euros.
Trade Winds, which specializes in shipping, reported that the ship, the Atlas, which is under a Liberian flag, belongs to the Laskaridis Shipping company of the well-known Greek shipowner Panagiotis Laskaridis.
Italian authorities began their investigations on April 18. The drugs were packed in 570 packages weighing 850 kg. The packages were found in the vessel’s hull area beneath the waterline, commonly known as the “sea chest”.
According to Trade Winds, the ship remains in the port of Venice, where it arrived on April 17; it left Brazil on March 23. So far, none of the seafarers have been arrested.
Trade Winds said container ships are often targeted for drug smuggling and used by gangs without the knowledge of ship crews and owners.
Contacted by BIRN on Friday, Laskaridis Shipping said it is collaborating with the Italian authorities after the discovery of possible smuggled goods, believed to be cocaine, at the ship’s sea inlet, about 11 meters below the waterline. It added that the sea inlet is a part of the vessel which is not accessible to the crew and can only be accessed by divers.
“The crew cooperated fully with the competent authorities during the preliminary investigations. The competent police and prosecuting authorities found that neither the ship nor the crew were involved in any way in the relevant incident,” said Laskaridis Shipping.
Meanwhile, the Italian authorities allowed the ship to continue its commercial activities.
Last month, Europol in partnership with the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg/Bremerhaven issued a report about criminal networks in EU ports. It estimated that at least 200 tonnes of cocaine have been trafficked through the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam in the last few years.
One of the new methods criminal networks use is misappropriated container reference codes, also known as PIN code fraud. Corrupted logistics company employees provide the drug smugglers with a reference code and a driver to pick up the container with the reference code. There is no need for physical presence within the port area.
The Laskaridis family is mostly known in Greece for its charitable activities regarding environmental protection.
However, a BIRN investigation raised concerns over the Laskaridis shipping company’s environmental practices. A Laskaridis reefer called Avunda spent a month in the protected waters of Antarctica. Reefers have a high failure rate in port inspections and dominate so-called transhipping, the practice of transferring a catch from one vessel to another, usually from a fishing ship to a reefer. The practice is closely monitored in port, but not so much far offshore, where illegal catches can be concealed.
In October 2019 inspectors registered 11 violations by the Avunda including concerns over its air pollution certificate and oil filtering equipment. The following year, Greenpeace flagged the Avunda in a report detailing the dangers reefers pose to the highly sensitive waters of Antarctica.
The Laskaridis brothers deny having anything to do with illegal cargo and say the faults found by inspectors are minor and are rectified.
The ship that sank off the southern province of Antalya on April 5 might cause sea pollution as it contains bauxite, a professor has warned.
After a foreign-flagged ship carrying minerals from the southern province of Hatay to Ukraine off Antalya sank, five of the 14 Syrian crew members were rescued.
One of them lost his life, and eight people have not yet been reached.
Mehmet Gökoğlu from Akdeniz University’s Faculty of Fisheries warned that the ship carrying bauxite, which sank 22 miles offshore from Kumluca, could lead to marine pollution.
Pointing out that it is impossible to bring the ship to the surface as it sank far from the shore at a quite deep depth, Gökoğlu stated that the ship, which will remain on the seabed, is expected to drift westward with sea flows over time.
More than 3,000 tons of mineral cargo on the ship will cause metal pollution underwater, Gökoğlu said.
“In fact, this mineral also exists naturally in the marine ecosystem, but the presence of such a large amount in the ship creates heavy metal pollution underwater,” he said.
Ferry R10 capsized and rested starboard on pier and on bottom at Surat Thani port, Surat Thani Province, Thailand, Gulf of Siam, in the morning Apr 16. Ferry is linking Surat Thani with famous islands Samui and Pha Ngan, reportedly she lost stability and capsized during mooring, before boarding started. No injures reported. RAJA 10 is to be stabilized and refloated, already said ferry’s operator.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Guinea-Bissau flagged cargo ship with 14 crew members on board sank off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast on Wednesday, killing at least three of them. Five people were rescued while efforts continued to find the other missing crew, officials and news reports said.
The Joe 2 sank off the coast of Kumluca, in Antalya province, while heading to Ukraine from the Turkish port of Iskenderun, said Gov. Ersin Yazici said. It was transporting aluminum, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The cause of the ship sinking was not immediately clear. An investigation has been launched by the chief prosecutor’s office for Kumluca.
The Turkish Coast Guard Command said it received a distress call at 3:47 a.m. and dispatched a vessel, several boats and two helicopters. Two crew members were rescued by the coast guard helicopters while three others were saved by other vessels in the area, it said.
All of the crew were Syrian nationals.
The rescue efforts were being hampered by a storm, Anadolu reported.
“We need to investigate why there are more survivors [than] the number of passengers in the manifesto,” Olaso said, adding that the company will cooperate with investigators.
Citing information shared to him by crew members, the fire was sparked by a defective light bulb in an unoccupied cabin at the lower deck.
“Later on when it was reported, the fire reached the bridge and it was already a big fire. According to the officers, they tried to put off the fire, but [it] spread so fast, most likely the crew failed to [stop it with an] extinguishing system, perhaps they also panicked,” Olaso said.
SEA TRAGEDY | The burnt passenger ferry MV Lady Mary Joy 3 after it was run aground on Baluk-Baluk Island off Basilan province. (Agence France-Presse)
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — The company that owned the ill-fated MV Lady Mary Joy 3, which caught fire at sea while en route to Sulu province on Wednesday night, has apologized for the tragedy in which 29 have died and seven remain missing.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked over this tragic incident that has resulted in the loss of precious human lives. There are no words to describe the pain of losing a loved one and our hearts go out to the families, friends and relatives whom they left behind,” Aleson Shipping Lines Inc. said on Friday.
“We cannot apologize enough and we are profoundly sorry for the misery this incident has caused to many of us,” the company also said in its statement.
It noted that in its 47 years in the shipping business, Wednesday’s incident was the worst it had experienced.
Zamboanga City Rep. Khymer Adan Olaso, whose wife’s family owns Aleson Shipping, told reporters the company is preparing to provide financial assistance to passengers who were properly documented and whose names were in the boat’s manifest.
According to its manifest, MV Lady Mary Joy 3 had 205 passengers. But various information about the rescue and search operations indicated there were more people who boarded the boat than the total recorded.
Passenger accounts
“We need to investigate why there are more survivors [than] the number of passengers in the manifesto,” Olaso said, adding that the company will cooperate with investigators.
Citing information shared to him by crew members, the fire was sparked by a defective light bulb in an unoccupied cabin at the lower deck.
“Later on when it was reported, the fire reached the bridge and it was already a big fire. According to the officers, they tried to put off the fire, but [it] spread so fast, most likely the crew failed to [stop it with an] extinguishing system, perhaps they also panicked,” Olaso said.
He said the crew have all been accounted for, with the skipper, whom he did not identify, suffering minor burns on his face.
But based on the accounts of some of the survivors, the crew members were nowhere to be found as the passengers scrambled to evacuate the burning ferry. Mariebeth Julkani recalled that the passengers were not warned about the fire.
But the skipper said he sent a distress call to the Coast Guard around 10:30 p.m.
Julkani said they were awakened around midnight by the commotion at the lower deck. Soon enough, the passengers learned that a fire had struck that area.
Naber Asadil, who is still looking for his 2-month-old baby, said he just saw passengers fleeing in panic as they looked for life jackets.
As he could not secure one, Naber said he tied his 5-year-old son to his body using a “malong” before they jumped off the boat.
Focus on crew
Julkani said she only heard the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) blaring advisories through a radio about avoiding panic, by the time a PCG rescue boat arrived near Basilan’s Baluk-Baluk Island. Soon enough, the PCG trained water cannons at the ferry.
She remembered seeing some crew members mounting life rafts.
PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armando Balilo told the Inquirer that his agency was looking into the possible negligence of the crew.
But in an interview with reporters on Friday, lawyer Hash Ibrahim, spokesperson for the company, maintained that the crew did their best to assist the passengers.
Ensign Tenessy Charl Rojas, deputy commander and spokesman for the PCG’s Zamboanga station, said there were survivors who attested to crew members trying to put out the fire.
“They did everything in their power in order to check on the passengers. Unfortunately due to the thick smoke caused by the fire, they were not able to check on all [of them],” she said.
Balilo said “We are looking at all possible angles in our investigation, including if there were issues in the ship’s system, or if it was carrying flammable materials which could be the source of the fire.”
On Saturday, 34 lawyers from this city and from the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi said they had joined hands to offer legal services to the families of the victims.
“As members of the legal profession and as adherents of the Islamic faith, we recognize our religious and moral duty to extend our help to the victims of this unfortunate event,” they said in a joint statement.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan has ordered provincial legal officer Ryan Jumaani to lead the legal assistance effort.
“The Muslim Lawyers Legal Assistance Program aims to provide free legal services to the victims of the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 fire incident, ensuring that they receive the support, guidance, and representation [which] they deserve in seeking justice and compensation,” the lawyers said.
—WITH A REPORT FROM DEXTER CABALZA
we in the BARMM government should also make sure we take steps to ensure that this incident does not happen again,” said Mawallil, who hails from Tawi-Tawi.
SEARCH AND RETRIEVAL. Firefighters, Philippine Coast Guard, and
Basilan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office personnel
continues search and retrieval operations in Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad,
Basilan Friday (March 31, 2023). following the fire incident that hit the
M/V Mary Joy 3 on March 29. The PCG reported 29 fatalities, 216 survivors,
and seven missing as of the latest count. (Courtesy of Kilo India)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) lawmakers filed a joint resolution Friday seeking an inquiry into the March 29 M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry fire off Basilan province.
BARMM parliament member Amir Mawallil and Deputy Speaker Laisa Masuhud Alamia authored Bangsamoro Transition Authority Resolution No. 209, which also aims to determine the adequacy of the safety measures and protocols in place for sea travel within the region. The measure intends to craft legislation that will strengthen existing policies.
“While we grieve with the families of those lost in the tragic ferry fire, we in the BARMM government should also make sure we take steps to ensure that this incident does not happen again,” said Mawallil, who hails from Tawi-Tawi.
The ill-fated M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 caught fire around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday near Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan while sailing to Jolo, Sulu coming from this city.
Commander Christopher Domingo, chief of the Zamboanga Coast Guard Station, said in a statement that there were 29 fatalities and 216 survivors as of 8 a.m. Friday.
Meanwhile, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) team from Manila arrived in Basilan Friday to carry out Marine Casualty Investigation.
Four floating assets of the PCG remain in the incident area. Search and retrieval operations by the Bureau of Fire Protection, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the PCG on the vessel in Baluk-Baluk Island continued Friday.
Republic Act No. 11054 (Bangsamoro Organic Law) grants BARMM the authority to regulate transportation, including sea transportation, within its jurisdiction, and to exercise quasi-judicial powers over the operation of land and water transportation in the region. (PNA)
The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) and the Shipowners’ P&I Club, the liability insurer of the sunken Princess Empress, have decided to open a claims submission office in Oriental Mindoro in the Philippines to facilitate the submission of thousands of claims for compensation.
The Philippines is a party to both the 1992 Civil Liability Convention (CLC) and the 1992 Fund Convention. IOPC Funds said that it had been following developments and working closely with the club and the government of the Philippines since the product tanker sank with a cargo of industrial fuel oil then spilling into the seas around the centre of the Southeast Asian country. Thus far, an estimated 175,000 people have been affected by the spill, with plenty more fuel gushing from the ship’s ruptured tanks every day. Thousands of fishermen remain subject to an ongoing fishing ban.
IOPC Funds said that, given the latest information reported, claims relating to this incident might exceed the limit of liability of the insurer under the 1992 CLC. It was therefore possible that the 1992 Fund would be called upon to pay compensation.
The insurers have hired French oil spill response company Le Floch Depollution (LFD), which is in the process of activating resources. Japan, South Korea and the US have already provided material assistance.
The Princess Empress was found last week by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle, at a depth of nearly 400 m.
It had suffered “extensive structural damage”, the Philippine Coast Guard said. Seven out of eight cargo tanks have leaked. Of those, four are already empty.
Oil has been found as far away as the western island of Palawan, more than 350 km from where the tanker went down.
Some oil has also drifted north to the Verde Island Passage, between Mindoro and the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, an area highly prized for its rich marine bioversity.
The ship’s history has been brought into question. While shipping database Equasis lists the locally flagged Princess Empress as being built in 2022, the country’s justice secretary, Jesus Crispin Remulla, has said the vessel was in fact very old, a candidate for scrapping, that had been modified twice, including a period where it traded as an LPG carrier.
Hernani Fabia, administrator of the country’s Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), said earlier this month that the ship owned by Manila-based RDC Reield Marine Services did not have a permit to operate before it headed on its fateful voyage. A senate hearing also heard that the ship had travelled on nine previous voyages without the right paperwork.
Fire engulfed the passenger areas aboard the ferry (Philippine Coast Guard photo)
A small inter-island ferry operating in the Sulu Sea in the southern portion of the Philippines caught fire while underway overnight leaving many passengers dead and injured. Officials are struggling to arrive at accurate counts but at the last report, the Coast Guard is saying at least 31 bodies have been recovered but they had been able to access parts of the vessel due to extreme heat. The Coast Guard confirmed 160 survivors while media reports are now saying that approximately 230 passengers and crew survived.
Ferry travel is a common means of transport around the Philippines but has a spotty safety record. It is the second reported incident in the past year. In May 2022, at least seven people were killed in another fire on a ferry.
The Mary Joy 3 was a small combination ferry and cargo ship registered in the Philippines. The 835 gross ton vessel departed Zamboanga for the overnight trip to Jolo both in the southern Basilan province. The Coast Guard received reports of a fire on board at approximately 23:00 on March 29 and immediately sent at least four patrol boats assisted by other SAR teams.
Passengers reported that they awoke to smoke and a spreading fire in the accommodations area of the vessel. Many reportedly jumped into the sea, some with life jackets. Local fishermen also responded assisting with rescuing people from the water.
The captain of the vessel has reportedly told the Coast Guard that he believes the fire began in the passenger accommodations. He said it spread into the galley and then they believe there were explosions possibly from an LPG tank in the galley.
Built in 1990 in Japan, the vessel is 239 feet long and operated by the Aleson Shipping Line. The company started in the 1970s and reports it currently has a fleet of 25 vessels and “has become the dominant shipping operator in Western Mindanao.” The registry indicates they acquired the vessel in 2011.
The Coast Guard is having a difficult time determining how many people were aboard the ferry, saying that the manifest appears to be incomplete and inaccurate. Officials are insisting the vessel was not overloaded. Some reports are saying there were up to 250 people aboard while the Coast Guard said the manifest showed 240 passengers and crew. Some of the survivors are members of the army and coast guard who however are reportedly not appearing on the manifest. It is believed there were 35 crewmembers.
The wreck has been beached in the southern Philippines (Isabela City-DRRM photo)
Passengers were asleep on the lower deck of the vessel when the fire started. An initial search recovered at least 18 bodies from inside the ship but the Coast Guard is saying some sections are still too hot to enter. The vessel was beached with the Coast Guard cutter extinguishing the fire after about eight hours. Among the dead are reports of a six-month-old child as well as several other children. At least several of the people drowned attempting to escape the ship.
Some of the survivors suffered minor burns and bruises. They have been taken to local hospitals.
The Coast Guard has begun an investigation while continuing the search of the vessel and the surrounding waters.
MANILA - The owners of MT Princess Empress have presented themselves to the National Bureau of Investigation.
The officers of RDC Reield Marine Services, which owns the ship, were issued a subpoena last week.
The NBI based their subpoena on the Securities and Exchange Commission records of RDC Reield Marine Services, which shows that the company is owned by the Cabial family.
The NBI talked to Reymundo Cabial, owner of RDC Reield Marine Services, and his lawyers for almost two hours.
He refused to answer questions from the media, including queries about the structure of their ship MT Princess Empress.
The management of SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp. was also subpoenaed by the NBI.
They were identified as the company that chartered RDC Reield Marine Services in using MT Princess Empress. They also refused to answer questions.
Authorities earlier ordered a halt to the operations of RDC Reield Marine Services.
Defense Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Sunday said a total of 10,206 liters of oil waste and oily water, and 72,643 kilos of oil contaminated debris were collected in the shoreline clean-up operations.
The oil spill has affected various areas in the Mimaropa region and in Western Visayas.
An oil tanker carrying fuel for state oil and gas company Pertamina terminals in Bali and Lombok catches fire on March 26.(The Jakarta Post/Instagram/yashaaa_29 )
JAKARTA – Two crew members have died and one is missing after a fire broke out on an oil tanker carrying fuel to terminals on the islands of Bali and Lombok, the state energy company Pertamina said in a statement.
The chartered vessel, MT Kristin, had 17 crew on board and was carrying 5,900 kilolitres of fuel when the fire started at 2:50 p.m. local time on Sunday.
PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) corporate secretary Muh. Aryomekka Firdaus said the other 14 crew members had been evacuated on Sunday evening safely.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the ship’s crew and also families affected by the incident,” he said in a statement on Monday
Aryomekka said that the tanker was carrying subsidized Pertalite gasoline to Lombok and Bali.
PIS, which hired the vessel, was focussing on the search and rescue of the ship’s crew and further investigation on the cause of the incident.
He said the company continued coordinating with authorities, including port authorities, search and rescue agency, state-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) and Water and Air Police (Polairud) units
Pertamina said so far, no oil spills had been detected after the fire, though a 300-meter oil boom had been set up around the ship. The vessel was being towed to the nearest safe port on Monday.
The state oil company said there were sufficient fuel stocks at the Integrated Terminal Ampenan on Lombok and the Fuel Termina Sanggaran terminal on Bali to secure supplies to the popular tourist destinations, while fuel supplies from other areas were also being diverted.
“So far there’s no trouble in the supply. We are calling the public not to panic [over the supply],” Pertamina-subsidiary Pertamina Patra Niaga West Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara region spokesperson Taufiq Kurniawan said in a separate statement.
The tanker fire was the latest deadly incident hitting the company.
A fire at Pertamina’s fuel storage depot in Plumpang, North Jakarta, earlier this month killed 33 people with nearly a dozen more still in critical condition.
Thousands of people were forced to evacuate when the fire broke out, although the local disaster mitigation agency said all evacuees had since left shelters.
Witnesses likened the fire to a bomb blast after an initial explosion sent panicked locals screaming and fleeing through narrow roads with the fireball lighting up the Jakarta skyline behind them.
In response, Pertamina apologized and one of its directors was removed from his post. The state-owned firm said a pipe leak had been detected before the fire started. But criticism over the blast has forced the government to consider relocating the facility or the residents who live next to it.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visited survivors and called on Jakarta’s governor and ministers to find a solution to fuel depots located near residential areas to avoid a repeat disaster.
Pertamina’s director Nicke Widyawati told reporters last week the depot could not be relocated immediately as it may disrupt the national fuel supply.
The fire was one of several that have broken out at the company’s facilities in recent years.
A massive blaze broke out in 2021 at the Balongan refinery in West Java, also owned by Pertamina and one of Indonesia’s biggest such facilities. That same depot saw fires in 2009 and again in 2014 when the flames spread to 40 houses nearby. No casualties were reported in either of those cases. (dre)
Fire broke out in forecastle compartments of tanker KRISTIN off Ampenan, Lombok island, Lombok Strait, in the afternoon Mar 26, at the time tanker was going to anchor, with 3 crew handling anchor on forecastle. Probably there was explosion prior to fire. Of 17 crew 14 abandoned tanker and are safe, those 3 who were on forecastle reportedly jumped into water and went missing, search under way. Tanker is loaded with fuel. As of 2130 LT, no updates, understood fire is still on. Ship’s AIS is on, tug and 2 rescue ships responding, engaged in firefighting and SAR. Tanker arrived from Surabaya.
Product tanker KRISTIN, IMO 8525537, dwt 4999, built 2003, flag Indonesia, operator PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS).
ROVからの画像と会見での一般配置図の画像を見ると確実に船齢約50年と思われる改造まえの「DOROTHY UNO」が改造された船だと個人的に思うが、Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)：日本では海運局のような組織は未だに2022年に建造された新造船だと言っているようだ。
Remulla: MT Princess Empress ‘a rebuilt scrap’, not meant to be a tanker 03/15/23 (GMA News ONLINE)
「DOROTHY UNO」で検索すると上記の船が見つかった。
Authorities find at least 23 holes in sunken tanker off Oriental Mindoro | ANC
A 74,651-ton container ship was seen approaching a wharf pier bow-first at an angle of 90 degrees before colliding with the steel-reinforced concrete structure at the Port of Kaohsiung yesterday, Monday, March 20.
According to the Maritime and Port Bureau, the Cyprus-flagged Hyundai Tokyo (IMO: 9305673, MMSI 212347000) crashed into Pier 77 at 9:05 am, causing damage to the dock and quay wall. The port controller had noticed that the speed of the ship was too fast and sent a warning by radio before the incident occured.
The Maritime and Port Bureau Southern Navigation Center dispatched personnel to the site of the accident to investigate, and reports this morning say that the pilot is believed to have been affected by alcohol at the time of the incident.
The ship has been ordered restricted from leaving the port while an investigation is carried out by the National Transportation Safety Committee.
Compensation is expected to be claimed for damage to the wharf after an underwater inspection is carried out in the next few days.
MANILA, Philippines–The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) on Thursday said it had issued a cease and desist order against the owner of the sunken MT Princess Empress oil tanker.
Marina Administrator Hernani Fabia said that covered by the cease and desist order on RDC Reield Marine Services include the cancellation of the firm’s certificate of public convenience, also affecting its remaining three vessels–two tankers and a passenger vessel.
“We issued two cease and desist orders, one is for purposes of cancellation of the franchise or the certificate of public convenience and the other one is to cease and desist in the operations, pending investigation and inspections,” Fabia told reporters in an ambush interview at the Department of Justice after he attended the meeting of the Oil Spill Inter-Agency Committee.
Fabia said the cease and desist order would stay pending investigation regarding the February 28 sinking of MT Princess Empress off the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, while carrying around 900,000 liters of industrial fuels. The oil spill is now threatening southern Luzon’s ecosystem and coastal communities.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) on Thursday said it has issued cease and desist orders against RDC Reield Marine Services, the company that owns the sunken MT Princess Empress.
MARINA Administrator Hernani Fabia said that the agency issued two cease and desist orders for the company’s Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) and its remaining three vessels, of which two are tankers and one is a passenger vessel.
“One is for purposes ng cancellation of the franchise or the CPC, the other one is to cease and desist in the operations,” Fabia said in an ambush interview following the meeting of the Oil Spill Inter-Agency Committee at the Department of Justice.
He said the cease and desist order will remain effective pending the result of the investigation into the oil spill.
The MT Princess Empress sank on February 28 off Najuan, Oriental Mindoro while carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel, affecting almost a hundred thousand residents in the province.
"Newly constructed"
According to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, the tanker was so old that it had already been scrapped, contrary to claims that it was a new vessel. He said the MT Princess Empress was not built to be a tanker from the beginning.
Fabia, however, said this was not true based on their records.
“Ah, sa bago yan, it’s newly-constructed. Hindi new ha? Newly constructed,” he said.
(This is not new, it’s newly constructed. It’s not new. Newly-constructed.)
“Eh, kung bumili ka ano na yan, yung new ibig sabihin it’s being— ano na existing. Pero ito naman newly-constructed, new from scratch,” he later added.
(If you buy it, new means it’s already existing. But this is newly constructed, new from scratch.)
When sought for comment, Remulla said there are six witnesses saying otherwise.
“Well, that is their allegation now, that is their claim, but we will look into it because there are claims otherwise. We will have to weigh the statements of the other witnesses,” Remulla said in a separate ambush interview.
Fines
Meanwhile, during the meeting, Environment Undersecretary Ignatius Rodriguez said initial calculations show that an administrative fine amounting to P471,000 per day from March 1 until the oil spill is resolved may be imposed on RDC.
He said this is because eight out of 10 samples examined by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showed contamination.
Rodriguez said they are still collecting more samples.
The meeting was attended by Remulla, Justice Undersecretary and Committee head Raul Vasquez, Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez, MARINA administrator Fabia, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Coast Guard Admiral Artemio Abu, Relly Garcia of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and others.
GMA News Online has sought the comment of the RDC, but it has yet to reply as of posting time.
ROVs
Meanwhile, Remulla said the government is looking into the possible procurement of ROV services for the cleanup of the oil spill.
“We’re finalizing the study. Hopefully, we’ll get something by tomorrow kung kaya natin i-procure ito. Legally on an emergency basis. It’s a little touchy because of what happened in the vaccine,” he said.
“Pero ito kasi, there’s no turning back eh, talagang wala tayong magagawa na. (We can't do anything about it anymore.) We’ve been very patient but we just have to wait for it. We just have to cross the rubicon now on whether we can procure on an emergency basis as soon as possible time,” he added.
When asked how much the service will cost, Remulla said it may initially cost the government P120 million.
He said the services are being procured by a “specialist group.”
“Ang sabi ko lang (I said), we can always get the reimbursement from the people who should be paying for it, because this is a necessary thing that will not last forever. Either we do it now or we never do it,” he said.
He said the United States Coast Guard Navy has discussed with the Department of National Defense about possibly helping in the cleanup.
Meanwhile, Remulla said he wants all agencies to have ROVs in the future.
“Pinaguusapan namin kanina (We talked about it), the other agencies, all of us should have ROVs in the near future. Kasi nung araw yung (Back in the day) [having] drone was a pipe dream but now everybody has a drone,” he said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 22) — There was "clear misrepresentation" on the documents of sunken MT Princess Empress which allowed the oil tanker to operate, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday.
"Ang lumalabas dahil may denial ang Marina, ay lumalabas na fake talaga siya. Ngayon ang sa amin sa coast guard, we relied on that document so many times na binibigay sa amin nung second mate na umaaktong master nung vessel. Clearly, may misrepresentation dito at meron dapat managot," PCG spokesperson Armand Balilo told CNN Philippines.
[Translation: It appears that because Marina (Maritime Industry Authority) has denied it, it seems the document is indeed fake. We at the coast guard relied on that document shown to us so many times by the second mate, who was acting as the vessel's master. Clearly, there was misrepresentation here and someone should be held accountable.]
On Monday, a Marina official said those found to have taken part in falsifying the documents of the oil tanker will face fines and sanctions, among others.
Senators in an inquiry cited a report from Marina which stated that the vessel "has no authority to operate in the form of an amendment to its certificate of public convenience."
The PCG denied it allowed the tanker that caused the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro to operate without a permit, as it presented a document to rebut the claim during the same hearing.
In an interview with CNN Philippines’ Balitaan, Balilo said the ship owner, as well as its master, should be made to explain what transpired.
Next step in clean-up efforts
Meanwhile, the PCG said plugging the hole in the sunken tanker to stop the oil leak is the next step in the clean-up.
"Dahil meron nang survey at nakakita na ng image kung saan pwede nang pag-aralan ng mabuti nung pag-plug, at eventually yung pagkuha o pag-siphon ng langis," said Balilo.
[Translation: Because a survey has already been made and images have shown where and how the plugging can be done, eventually the siphoning of the oil will happen as well.]
He added that the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) which was used to take images of the vessel was not capable of siphoning off the remaining oil.
"Yung pag-siphon kasi hindi kasama sa unang plano at kapabilidad nung nilubog na ROV at kailangan magkaroon pa ng isa pang equipment para sa pagkuha nung langis," he explained.
[Translation: Siphoning was not part of the original plan and the ROV is not capable of doing that. We will have to use other equipment to retrieve the oil.]
Balilo said clean-up efforts will remain a priority, as the investigation into the tanker sinking proceeds.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 21) — The MT Princess Empress, which sank off Oriental Mindoro three weeks ago causing a massive oil spill, has been spotted, Governor Humerlito "Bonz" Dolor said on Tuesday.
Dolor made the announcement in a social media post showing a photo of the oil tanker, which was found through a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from Japan.
“Sa wakas, natagpuan na ang MT Princess Empress! Ang unang sulyap sa lumubog na barko gamit ang ROV (lulan ng Japanese vessel na sinalubong natin kahapon at inihatid sa lugar na pinangyarihan ng trahedya),” the governor wrote, referring to Japanese salvage vessel Shin Nichi Maru.
[Translation: Finally, the MT Princess Empress has been found! Here’s the first glimpse of the sunken ship using an ROV, which was on board the Japanese vessel we welcomed yesterday and brought to the area of the incident.]
On March 6, authorities announced locating the tanker 7.5 nautical miles from Balingawan Point, facing the town of Pola in Oriental Mindoro, although the ship itself hasn't been sighted at the time.
In a press briefing, Dolor reported that the earlier identified location is the same area where the ship was seen.
He said experts are now assessing the vessel, including if there are holes that have to be covered. An official report is expected in a few days, Dolor added.
MT Princess Empress was initially reported to have been transporting 800,000 liters of industrial oil when it capsized and sank near Naujan town on Feb. 28.
The Philippine Coast Guard later corrected this in a radio interview, saying the ship was carrying 900,000 liters of oil.
Meanwhile, Defense chief Carlito Galvez, Jr. confirmed on Tuesday that the United States will join Japan in helping in cleanup efforts by deploying naval units.
In a separate statement, the US government also reported that eight of its experts already arrived in Pola, Oriental Mindoro to assist in response operations.
Galvez added that the Philippines will continue to seek the expertise and technical support of other nations, such as France and the United Kingdom, in containing the oil spill.
The tanker was found by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor told reporters.
A leaking oil tanker that sank in the Philippines three weeks ago has been found, officials said Tuesday, as the slick reached waters known for their rich marine life.
The Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil when it sank on February 28 off the central island of Mindoro, south of the capital Manila.
Diesel fuel and thick oil from the vessel have since contaminated the waters and beaches of Oriental Mindoro province and other islands.
The tanker was found by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor told reporters.
It is nearly 400 metres (1,300 feet) below the waves.
Dolor said he received the first photos showing the exact location of the vessel on Tuesday morning.
The national disaster agency said the ROV would assess the hull's condition before a decision was made about how to "control the spill from its source".
The Philippines has sought assistance from several countries, including Japan, the United States and France, to help contain and clean up the slick.
Thousands of hectares of coral reefs, mangroves and seaweed could be affected, officials have said.
Oil spill booms made out of hay, human hair and other materials have been deployed to try to protect coastal waters that people in the fishing and tourism industries rely on for their livelihoods.
Oil has been spotted as far away as Casian Island, off the north coast of the western island of Palawan, about 350 kilometres (220 miles) southwest of where the tanker sank.
As feared, oil has also drifted north to the Verde Island Passage -- a busy sea lane between Mindoro and the Philippines' main island of Luzon.
Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga said previously that the area was "globally recognised" for its marine biodiversity.
The Philippine Coast Guard said clean-up operations on Monday removed oil from the shores of three villages on Verde Island, which is popular with divers.
Oil also has been spotted further along the passage at Tingloy municipality on Maricaban Island, part of Batangas province.
Residents and coast guard personnel have been removing oil-coated seaweed and other debris from affected areas.
Tens of thousands of people have been affected by the spill, with scores falling ill. The government is distributing food packs and other assistance.
Among the hardest hit are fishermen, who have been ordered to stay on shore until they can fish safely.
jae-amj/smw
The Barron's news department was not involved in the creation of the content above. This story was produced by AFP. For more information go to AFP.com.
MANILA - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday said it had no hand in checking if the sunken motor tanker Princess Empress was a 'scrap ship,' a day after a lawmaker said the vessel responsible for the massive Mindoro oil spill was not up to standards.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the PCG and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) should be held accountable for allowing MT Princess Empress to sail. The opposition lawmaker alleged that the tanker was 50 years old and had not bee refurbished according to standards.
“Wala kaming hand doon sa, alam mo, sa pagbi-build ng barko at yung pagpapayag dito,” said PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo.
“Ang sa amin ay pagki-clear pagka sila’y magse-sail na ‘no, at pagka pumunta sa mga stations,” he added.
(We have no hand in the building of a ship or allowing a ship to be built. We're in charge of clearing it to sail and when it goes to the stations.)
But Balilo stressed that the PCG was willing to face any probe regarding the incident.
“Kung meron information na makakatulong, tayo naman po ay open sa ganyan,” he said.
(If we have information that can help, of course we are open to that.)
The official said the owner of the tanker was able to show them a certificate of public convenience (CPC).
A CPC is a franchise that grants permission to operate in certain public activities.
“Dahil Marina ito galing, nagpi-presume kami ng regularity... Nakakalayag na yung barko eh. Ang iniisip namin dito may prangkisa ito, at saka may ibang dokumento pa bukod dito, na magsasabi na legit itong operations nila,” Balilo said.
(Because it came from Marina, we presumed regularity. The fact is the ship has been sailing. We thought it had a franchise and other documents proving its operations were legitimate.)
“Ngayon kung ito’y fake, eh dapat ipa-explain natin yung may-ari at papanagutin natin bakit nila ginagamit itong dokumento na ito,” he stressed.
(Now, if they were using fake documents, the owners must be made to explain.)
Marina has since denied issuing the permit that allowed the MT Princess Empress to set sail before it capsized while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil.
The submerged tanker is believed to be about 400 meters below the waves.
More than 2,500 hectares of coral reefs, mangroves and seaweed could be affected by the spill, the environment department said previously.
It is not known how much diesel and oil have leaked into the water.
Thousands of fishermen have been ordered to stay on shore until they can fish safely, and swimming is also banned.
Thin threads of fuel oil seep from the topsides of MT Princess Empress (Fukada Salvage / PCG)
A Japanese salvor has completed an ROV survey of the sunken Philippine tanker Princess Empress, returning images of fuel oil cargo leaking from the vessel's topsides. The survey confirms the wreck's location and serves as a first step towards a potential remediation effort.
The small product tanker Princess Empress went down off Pola, Oriental Mindoro on February 28 with a cargo of 900,000 liters of fuel oil. The petroleum continues to leak out of its tanks, threatening a growing swath of the central Philippines with pollution. The slick has spread as far south as the Caluya Islands and as far northwest as the ecologically sensitive Verde Island Passage, a critical fishery breeding ground located between Mindoro and Luzon. Tens of thousands of fishermen, hospitality industry workers and residents have been affected by shoreline pollution and related business impacts.
The salvage vessel Shin Nichi Maru arrived in Mindoro on Monday, and after formalities in port, she headed directly to the suspected wreck site. A Philippine survey ship previously scanned the area to determine the most likely location of the tanker. Shin Nichi Maru deployed her ROV, the Hakuyo, and quickly confirmed that the sonar target was the Princess Empress.
mages courtesy Fukada Salvage / PCG
Now that the vessel's location has been confirmed, the government of Oriental Mindoro plans to meet with the PCG, the shipowner, the insurer and the charterer in order to plan the next steps of the response.
The Philippines' civil defense agency also called for procuring an ROV for domestic use, citing the long timeframe in between the casualty and the visual inspection. "The government itself still needs to procure an ROV in order to create its own capacity. As soon as possible, we need to buy our own ROV," Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said in a statement.
Skimming operations to recover oil from the Princess Empress, March 16 (PCG)
Shoreline pollution on ecologically-sensitive Verde Island, March 21 (PCG)
Documentation inquiry deepens
It is unclear whether the newbuild Princess Empress had the correct documentation at the time of the casualty voyage. Philippine maritime regulatory agency Marina insists that it never issued an amended Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) - a permit to operate in domestic trade - to reflect the addition of Princess Empress to the shipowner's fleet. However, the PCG is in possession of what appears to be a signed copy of an amended permit, which was allegedly provided to the coast guard by the vessel's second mate.
On Tuesday, Marina regional director Marc Pascua insisted that he had never signed the document and that it contained material discrepancies that suggest that it may have been forged. At a press conference, he told GMA that the document misspelled his name ("Mark" instead of "Marc"), incorrectly listed his job title, and showed that it had been "certified" by a Marina staffmember who had already retired two years before. The Philippine Department of Transport is currently investigating whether the document was legitimate.
This handout photo taken March 21, 2023, by DPV Shin Nichi Maru and released courtesy of the Philippine Coast Guard shows a monitor with footage of the sunken oil tanker MT Princess Empress as it lies on the ocean floor off Naujan, Philippines.
An oil tanker that has been leaking fuel since sinking last month off the coast of the central Philippines has been located.
Humerlito Dolor, the governor of Oriental Mindoro province, said Tuesday that the Princess Empress was found by an underwater robot donated by Japan. He said photos taken by the robot will help determine the tanker’s condition and what steps need to be taken to plug the leaks.
The MT Princess Empress was carrying about 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank on February 28. Officials say thousands of hectares of coral reefs, mangroves and seaweed could be affected by the spill.
The Philippines has sought assistance from the United States and Japan to contain and clean up the spill.
Authorities have imposed bans on fishing and swimming in affected areas, putting the livelihoods of many residents at risk.
Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
MANILA, Philippines – Following the sinking of MT Princess Empress and its impact, it’s time the Philippines enacts a corporate environment liability law that will ensure that polluters pay, an environmental expert said.
In an interview on ABS-CBN News, lawyer and former environment undersecretary Antonio La Viña said that despite previous incidents of major oil spills, the Philippines still does not have a law that will make companies behind oil pollution pay for damage to people and the environment, especially for long-term impacts.
“We have many good environmental laws but we do not yet have a corporate environment liability act where it should be the company that pays for the damage,” he said.
He acknowledged that the country’s laws limit liability mainly to the ship owner and not to the charterer of the vessel, but added that it’s time that Congress pass a law that will make polluters pay.
Under the current system, La Viña said the private companies behind oil pollution were simply sanctioned and fined by regulatory agencies.
“We only have fines, pero maliit lang ang fines (the fines are small), and not enough to pay for the damage,” he said.
Aside from environmental damage, private companies should also compensate fishermen for loss of livelihood, as well as LGUs and resort owners for loss of revenues.
Although private companies can be sued for oil pollution, La Viña said these take a long time.
“Pag sa kaso mo dinaan, matagal yan. Dapat yung ganito, administrative ang process, ‘di sya dadaan sa korte,” he said, adding that private companies can appeal adverse administrative decisions to the courts.
(If you resort to filing cases, it will take a long time. In cases like this [Mindoro oil spill], it should be an administrative process, it doesn’t go through the courts.)
“Time and again, and I have seen this in many environmental disasters such as the Marcopper mining disaster in Marinduque, at the end of it, bahala na si Batman (it’s up to Batman). Kasi nga may gap sa batas natin (Because we have a gap in our law) on corporate liability for the impacts,” he said.
Although it may be difficult to pass such a law, La Viña said “we’ve never tried it” and it would need “champions” from both houses of Congress.
Who owns the oil?
La Viña lamented the lack of transparency on the charterer of MT Princess Empress and the owner of the more than 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil the tanker was shipping from Bataan to Iloilo on February 28.
He said “it’s ridiculous” that three weeks after the sinking of MT Princess Empress, the public still does not know the charterer of the tanker and owner of the cargo.
Rappler reported on March 13 that it was a subsidiary of San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage Corporation, SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation, which chartered the ship owner, RDC Reield Marine Services. But no government agency nor San Miguel Corporation (SMC), has publicly disclosed this information.
The Philippine Stock Exchange, where SMC is listed and traded, has apparently not asked the conglomerate to comment on this information that has been reported by Rappler and a few other news outfits more than a week ago. No disclosure has yet been made as of posting.
Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) legal chief Sharon Aledo has merely acknowledged to Rappler in an email interview, as well as in public interviews, that MT Princess Empress left the SL Harbor Terminal. This private port is operated by SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp. She said regulators were not informed about the charterer.
Ship owner RDC has also not disclosed the charterer citing its non-disclosure agreement.
Even though Philippine laws penalize mainly the ship owner, La Viña said there are “openings for liability” of the charterer and cargo owner.
MARINA’s Aledo said in a recent interview that the charterer of MT Princess Empress should have undertaken “due diligence” of the ship owner, following reports that the ship did not have an approved amended Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) or license to sail.
Oceana Legal and Policy Director Liza Osorio, in a recent Rappler interview, said the cargo owner could be held liable if it is shown that the oil was not properly packed.
In the case of the Guimaras oil spill, a special Board of Marine Inquiry found the charterer and cargo owner, Petron Corporation, liable for overloading MT Solar 1 which contributed to the tanker sinking in August 2006. Petron Corp., which handles the fuel and oil business of SMC, appealed the ruling.
Insurance coverage not for poor
La Viña also lamented that while shipping companies and cargo owners can claim insurance for their losses, there is no insurance coverage for long-term impacts on the environment and people.
He said private companies “should pay for the damage” and “insure themselves for it.”
“This oil spill, this tanker, those who contracted it will not suffer kasi (because) insured. They would not have done this [contract] without insurance. There’s always a failure to have that insurance pay for the impacts, it’s only for loss of ship and cargo,” he said.
“That’s one of the problems. Kasi ang gusto ng company, kanila lang yun [insurance].” (The company only wants the insurance for itself.)
La Viña said this should change since it’s always the poor who suffer the most in environmental disasters.
“Dapat baguhin na. Palaging holding the bag ay kapwa Pilipino mahihirap, fisherfolk, those in coastal areas dependent on fisheries, coastal tourism. LGUs [local government units] rarely get anything from the insurance,” he said.
(That should change. It’s always the poor holding the bag, the fisherfolk, those in coastal communities dependent on fisheries, coastal tourism.)
In the sinking of MT Princess Empress, La Viña said there was clearly “regulatory failure” by government agencies involved such as the Philippine Coast Guard but he said it was time that private companies also be held accountable.
“Di na tayo natuto (We have not learned our lessons). Grabe ang regulatory failures ng ating gobyerno sa Mindoro (The regulatory failures of our government in Mindoro are grave),” he said. “Even after Guimaras, hindi pa natin (we have not) put into place the system to do it right.”
In an opinion piece published by Rappler in 2019, Coast Guard deputy chief Commodore Jay Tristan Tarriela said they were always held accountable and “publicly crucified” in the event of maritime disasters while the ship owners escape accountability.
“Ironic as it may seem, it is because of this PCG mandate that the public has forgotten the shipowners who were given ‘Certificate of Public Convenience’ as a license to operate and have this responsibility. The PCG’s performance of the predeparture inspection takes away this burden of responsibility from the shipowners,” Tarriela wrote. He also said the Philippines is the only country that still requires its coast guard to conduct pre-departure inspections of domestic vessels.
RDC has said that MT Princess Empress has a $1 billion Protection & Indemnity (P&I) coverage, but doubts have been raised on whether it can claim it due to reports of the vessel was “colorum” or unlicensed.
Environmental groups and public officials have decried the likely long-term damage to the country’s rich natural resources, especially in the biodiverse Verde Island Passage. La Viña said environmental groups have long been urging the government to ban oil tankers from crossing this body of water.
Appeal to San Miguel
Instead of filing cases in court, La Viña advised the local governments and citizens affected by the oil spill to instead seek a “negotiated agreement” with SMC president Ramon Ang, if it is proven that a SMC subsidiary chartered the vessel and owns the cargo.
He noted that SMC is a “big company” with “good CSR [corporate social responsibility].”
Mr. Ang is very supportive of this [CSR], baka malaki yung kanila makukuhang (they might get a fast) settlement,” La Vina said. “It should be a negotiated agreement para mabilis (so it will be fast). Pero kailangan ng mabilisan ang (But the damage assessment should be rushed) rapid assessment.”
On Monday, March 20, Oriental Mindoro Governor Humberto Dolor told ANC Headstart that all their LGUs agreed that they will be filing “just one solid case” on behalf of all LGUs against the ship owner.
“Before we file anything, we want to make sure that the evidence will warrant conviction,” he said.
He said they plan to file a civil case but a criminal case is also an option.
Dolor said they were worried that their legal action would take a long time, similar to what happened in the Guimaras oil spill.
“Coming from experience, ang nagpapatagal ay (what delays it are) multiple claims. That’s why we agreed we will claim as a group, as a province, in one claim. Pag nagdoble doble, magpapatagal ito (If it’s multiple, it will cause delays),” he said. “It will take 10 years, we don’t want that to happen. We don’t want years of agony. We want to go back to normal. they have to pay for the daily losses that we have,” he said.
Dolor said they were still waiting for a complete assessment of the damage to the environment, people, companies, and LGUs before filing a class
Government agencies are on alert for a potential oil spill from the floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel deployed on US supermajor Chevron’s Benchamas field offshore Thailand following an onboard accident that left one worker dead.
One crew member was killed after seawater entered the hull of the Benchamas 2 FSO when a seal malfunctioned during maintenance work. Chevron confirmed that a contractor working aboard the vessel had died.
There were 29 crew members onboard the FSO at the time of the incident and non-essential workers have since been demobilised.
“The safety of all personnel and the protection of the environment remain our top priorities. We have engaged and notified the relevant authorities and are working with all stakeholders,” Chevron reportedly said in a statement.
Upstream has approached Chevron for independent verification and comment.
The kingdom’s government has tasked the Royal Thai Navy and Department of Transport to help prevent a possible significant oil spill from the FSO, which is deployed on the Benchamas field in the Gulf of Thailand.
Royal Thai Navy spokesman Admiral Prokgrong Monthatphalin said that multiple agencies were working to recover the body of the dead crewman, fix the leak and avert an oil spill.
“The vessel’s condition is safe and weather conditions are not interfering with the rescue operations. However, there is no electricity in the engine room… it is affecting assessment of the situation,” Prokgrong was quoted in a statement by the Bangkok Post.
The FSO, which for more than four years has been operating on Chevron’s Benchamas field on Block B8/32 in the Gulf of Thailand about 130 miles offshore Chon Buri province — home of Thailand’s largest naval base — had some 400,000 barrels of oil on board at the time of the incident.
Benchamas 2’s owner and operations & maintenance services contractor — Petronas subsidiary MISC — five years ago converted the aframax tanker delivered by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 1999 into an FSO. The ABS-classed, double-hulled vessel, which is moored on the Benchamas field in a water depth of 71 metres via an external turret, has storage capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude.
In January, Thai fishermen and local business owners filed lawsuits totalling about $150 million against Chevron subsidiary Star Petroleum Refining over an early 2022 oil spill in the Gulf of Thailand that stemmed from a leak in a subsea flexible hose used to load tankers at an offshore single point mooring.
“We have a long history as a safe, reliable and caring operator. We take full responsibility for our operations [and] are deeply saddened and disappointed by the impact of this spill,” Star Petroleum Refining official Robert Joseph Dobrik earlier said.
Update (March 21) -- MISC Behard, owners of the FSO reports that there was no explosion correcting the Royal Thai Navy which had at the time said it understood there had been an explosion that caused the death of the crewmember. In the following days, they have been working to stabilize the vessel. The body of the deceased crewmember was removed from the vessel and preparations were underway for return to the family. There continues to be no oil leak from the Benchamas 2 while work in the field was suspended while they continue to repair the vessel after the accident.
The government of Thailand has ordered the Royal Thai Navy and the Department of Transportation to assist to prevent a potentially significant oil spill from a damaged FSO operated by Chevron 129 miles off the coast of the country. The vessel, the Benchamas 2, was undergoing routine maintenance when the accident happened and is reported to be taking on water at the stern.
Chevron issued a statement confirming that one crewmember, a contractor, working aboard the vessel during the maintenance operation was killed. According to reports, they were working on repairs removing an underwater value. The government is referring to it as a seawater suction pipe that is now leaking and causing the engine room of the FSO to flood.
The flooding has left the Benchamas 2 without electrical power. The Royal Thai Navy noted that the crude oil heating system is not working due to the lack of power raising the potential for an oil leak. Reports said that there are currently 400,000 barrels of oil stored aboard the FSO.
There were 29 crewmembers working aboard the vessel at the time of the accident. Chevron reports that non-essential personnel were removed from the vessel. The government reports said that the remaining crew was in no immediate danger and were working with the Navy to stabilize the situation. The Navy noted that weather has not been an issue, reporting that the wind and waves are not an obstacle to their operation.
The Navy was expected to reach the vessel early today. They are planning for three scenarios, including successfully sealing the leaking pipe or more water continuing to enter the vessel. The third scenario they are preparing for is a potential oil spill from the FSO. Resources are being positioned with reports that the Prime Minister of Thailand is monitoring the situation and has consulted with senior officials of the Navy and government.
The Benchamas 2 went into operation in the field located in the Gulf of Thailand in 2018. She was converted from a 1998-built Aframax tanker Bunga Kelena 5 owned by MISC Berhad. The conversion work was carried out at a shipyard in Malaysia with reports saying that the vessel was designed to operate for 12 years without drydocking. The 104,500 dwt vessel was designed to provide a maximum storage capacity of 650,000 barrels.
Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)：日本では海運局のような組織が書類を発給していないと声明している以上、内部の職員が賄賂をもらって公文書偽造の可能か、外部の人間が公文書偽造を行ったと言う事だと思う。
オイルタンカー「Princess Empress」の二等航海士がPCG（フィリピン沿岸警備隊）に見せたCPC（運航許可証）を発行した人物の名前が間違っており、しかも、その名前の職員は2020年１月1日に退職しており、既に、2022年12月27日に死亡していることが判明したそうだ。船が建造されてた年よりも前に退職しているそうだ。
aritime Industry Authority (MARINA)：日本では海運局のような組織がCPC（運航許可証）を発行していないと発言し、矛盾が存在する公文書偽造であると思われるCPC（運航許可証）が存在する以上、オイルタンカー「Princess Empress」の所有者であるRDC Reield Marine Services (RDC)はどのように、そして誰からCPC（運航許可証）を入手したのか公表するべきだと思う。もう既に警察が動いている可能性は高い。
現在、The Department of Transportation（運輸局）が調査中だと言う事だが、油汚染に繋がった公文書偽造なので刑事事件だと思うが、民事で莫大な被害請求がくる可能性は高い。
MANILA, Philippines - The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) on Monday reiterated that it did not issue an amendment to the certificate of public convenience (CPC) of the owner of MT Princess Empress to include the sunken tanker in its fleet.
At a Senate panel inquiry last March 13, MARINA said that the tanker had no permit to operate in the form of an amendment to its CPC. But hours later, the Philippine Coast Guard posted on social media a document - a November 16, 2022 decision by the Marina - showing that MT Princess Empress had an approved CPC.
A CPC is issued by the MARINA to a domestic water transport service provider to operate a vessel for commercial or public use, for which no franchise, either municipal or legislative, is required by law.
The Coast Guard, on the following day, said it is investigating the authenticity of the document presented to its personnel, which allowed the vessel to sail at least four times before it sank off Oriental Mindoro and leaked oil into the sea.
But in a briefing on Monday, MARINA-National Capital Region regional director Marc Anthony Pascua denied signing an amended CPC.
“That is not authentic so to speak because we did not issue a CPC amendment. At the same time, I never signed any amended CPC for that matter,” Pascua said.
He added that RDC Reield Marine Service, which owns MT Princess Empress, only has “screened application” for the amendment of its CPC.
MARINA legal service director Sharon Aledo also said that the vessel owner was still lacking documents in its application to amend its CPC.
The Department of Transportation is investigating the questionable CPC. MARINA, an agency under the DOTr, is mandated to oversee the promotion and development of the maritime industry, and to provide effective regulation of shipping enterprises.
Suspension
Aledo also reported that MARINA issued a suspension order against RDC Reield Marine Service last week.
“MARINA has already issued a directive for the shipowner of MT Princess Empress considering they still have other vessels. They have already been suspended. So they are no longer operating,” she said.
MARINA has also approved the release of P33 million from the Oil Pollution and Management Fund administered by the agency for the clean-up and containment of the oil spill. The PGC requested the release of such funds.
Authorities have yet to recover the sunken tanker and contain the oil spill that has disrupted the livelihoods of affected communities and threatened the area’s rich marine biodiversity.
He said the vessel should have undergone inspection prior the issuance of permits.
PCG (Philippine Coast Guard:フィリピン沿岸警備隊)が何度もオイルタンカー「Princess Empress」を検査している以上、本船が船齢1年の新造船でない事に気付くべきだったと思う。PCG（フィリピン沿岸警備隊）隊員達が買収されていたか、ずさんな検査をするのが常態化していたのか、船に対する知識が不足していたのか、これらのコンビネーションでなければ船齢50年の改造された船に気付かない事はないと思う。
リビルトの船の場合、いろいろな機器が古く、ポンプやいろいろな機器のネームプレートや製造年月日が書かれた情報がかなり古い。スクラップヤードから購入して取り付けるか、リビルトでなけけば、多くの古い機器が取り付けられることはない。少なくとも4回以上の検査が行われているので、全ての検査において誰も疑問に思わなかったのか疑問である。
PCG（フィリピン沿岸警備隊）の「the vessel should have undergone inspection prior the issuance of permits.」の発言は正しいと思う。フィリピンのシステムについて全く知らないが、検査を行わずにCPC（運航許可証）を発行するようになっているのなら、法や規則改正の準備に取り掛かるべきだと思う。
オイルタンカー「Princess Empress」の二等航海士がPCG（フィリピン沿岸警備隊）に見せたCPC（運航許可証）を発行した人物の名前が間違っており、しかも、その名前の職員は2020年１月1日に退職しており、既に、2022年12月27日に死亡していることが判明したそうだ。船が建造されてた年よりも前に退職している。
フィリピンの事について詳しくないが、これは氷山の一角であると思う。フィリピン人船員と話すことはあるが、フィリピンでは地獄沙汰もお金次第だとよく聞くので、癒着、腐敗、汚職や賄賂があるのだと思う。
aritime Industry Authority (MARINA)：日本では海運局のような組織がCPC（運航許可証）を発行していないと発言し、矛盾が存在する公文書偽造であると思われるCPC（運航許可証）が存在する以上、オイルタンカー「Princess Empress」の所有者であるRDC Reield Marine Services (RDC)はどのように、そして誰からCPC（運航許可証）を入手したのか公表するべきだと思う。もう既に警察が動いている可能性は高い。
The director of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) in the National Capital Region on Monday denied signing an amended Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) which covered the MT Princess Empress.
At a news conference, MARINA-NCR regional director Marc Pascua said the copy of the CPC released by the Philippine Coast Guard was not authentic.
“I just want to clarify that as far as MARINA-NCR is concerned, as far as records are concerned, wala po kaming in-issue na amended CPC sa particular vessel na Princess Empress, that’s number one," Pascua said.
"Number two, wala po akong pinipirmahan na CPC for that particular vessel,” he added.
(Number one, we did not issue an amended CPC to Princess Empress. Number two, I did not sign a CPC for that particular vessel.)
PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said the PCG allowed the ill-fated MT Princess Empress to sail after its CPC was submitted to the coast guard on February 27.
MARINA spokesperson Sharon Aledo earlier confirmed that the company RDC Reield Marine Services has a valid company CPC. However, it showed that MT Princess Empress has not yet been added to such CPC.
In a message to GMA News Online, Balilo said that MARINA should let the shipowner explain if indeed the document was falsified.
He said that the PCG received the same documents on several occasions from the 2nd mate of the vessel, thus it would be better if the explanation for the “misrepresentation” would be coming from the crew him/herself.
“Kung fake, let the shipping company explain. Ilang beses silang nag submit ng parehong document,” Balilo said.
(If it's fake, let the shipping company explain. They submitted the same document several times.)
“We relied on that document. ‘Pag pinakita sa amin mga docs gaing ng Marina may presumption of regularity. We also do that to other docs presented to us na most of the times wala namang irregularity,” he added.
(When we are shown documents coming from the MARINA, there is a presumption of regularity. We also do that to other documents presented to us that most of the time have no irregularity.)
Balilo said on Wednesday it was checking the validity of the CPC of MT Princess Empress following questions that it sailed without such a permit.
Pascua said that he was serving as a regional director for MARINA NCR and not a franchising director—as indicated in the document—-when the MT Princess Empress sailed. His first name is also spelled as “Marc” and not “Mark.”
Aledo also pointed out that a certain Feliciano Tira, who certified the CPC amendment as a true copy, retired on January 1, 2020, and already died on December 27, 2022.
She said that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is also investigating if the CPC submitted to the PCG is authentic or not.
The Department of Justice earlier said an inter-agency committee and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were looking into the possibility that some officials of the PCG and MARINA colluded to allow MT Princess Empress to sail despite the absence of an amended CPC.
Aledo said MARINA would cooperate with any investigation.
MT Princess Empress sank on February 28 off Naujan while carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel. Aside from Oriental Mindoro, it has also reached nearby provinces like Antique, Palawan, and Batangas. —NB, GMA Integrated News
"We are not shying away from responsibility, we are open to investigations. In fact, we appreciate the investigations because that will be a good avenue also for people to come forward and share what happened when the ship left port," PCG Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said.
Authorities continue to look into the case of the MT Princess Empress, which is owned by RDC Reield Marine Service. Marina earlier said that the oil tanker did not have a permit to sail in the first place and that the coast guard allowed it to sail anyway.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard on Monday said it is ready to cooperate with any investigating body, such as the Department of Justice, looking into possible lapses in allowing an oil tanker that later sank off Oriental Mindoro to leave port.
In a press briefing on Monday, the PCG said that while they are conducting their own investigation on allegations related to the Certificate of Public Convenience issued to the MT Princess Empress by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), the agency is willing to cooperate with other investigating bodies "because they are in the position to do so."
"We are not shying away from responsibility, we are open to investigations. In fact, we appreciate the investigations because that will be a good avenue also for people to come forward and share what happened when the ship left port," PCG Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said.
Authorities continue to look into the case of the MT Princess Empress, which is owned by RDC Reield Marine Service. Marina earlier said that the oil tanker did not have a permit to sail in the first place and that the coast guard allowed it to sail anyway.
The PCG has since presented a supposed CPC for the tanker on social media and to media, but Balilo said this should not preclude probes into the agency and its potential lapses.
MT Princess Empress sank in waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in the early hours of end-February. It was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel when it sank, putting authorities on a "race against time" to make sure that oil from the tanker does not spill over to other parts of the country.
Here's information, based on documents obtained by Rappler, on RDC Reield Marine Services - the company in the hot seat after its tanker sank off Oriental Mindoro with over 800,000 liters of 'black oil' on February 28.
MANILA, Philippines - Here are some facts on RDC Reield Marine Services, the company that owns MT Princess Empress - the oil tanker that sank off Oriental Mindoro last February 28, with over 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil or “black oil.”
These pieces of information are mainly from documents the company submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) obtained by Rappler.
RDC is primarily engaged in the “business of marine services including but not limited to tank cleaning and other related services.”
Its secondary purposes are to:
“engage in the business of domestic shipping and the delivery of oil and petroleum products related activities”
“engage in the business of buying, selling, marketing, supplying, distributing of goods such as oil/petroleum products, slightly used heavy equipments and machineries and other related products on wholesale/retail basis”
RDC is a 100% Filipino company owned by the Cabial family. Its office is in Mandaluyong City.
Its officers are:
Reymundo Duldulao Cabial, chief executive officer (CEO) and president
Criselda L. Cabial, chief financial officer/treasurer
Fritzie Faye L. Cabial, vice-president
Reia Faye Cabial, corporate secretary
Francis John Cabial, auditor
Reield Faye L. Cabial, director
One of the original incorporators in 2014 was Reina Loraine L. Inducil.
RDC was registered with the SEC in 2014. Its paid-up capital was P5 million raised by six stockholders, mostly by its CEO/president.
As of December 2021, the company’s financial statements show:
Total revenues: P73 million
Net income before tax: P355,226
Net income: P284,181
Total assets: P81 million
Current liabilities: P1.1 million
Vessels’ worth: P65.5 million
Worth of vessel under construction: P4.1 million
The company was deemed by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to be financially capable of maintaining its operations. MARINA’s mandate is to ensure ships are safe for people and the environment.
The initials RDC appear to have come from the first letters of the name of its CEO/president.
So far, only Fritzie Cabial has spoken publicly on the sinking of MT Princess Empress. The statements of RDC that have been sent to the media have been attributed to her. She is identified as Fritzie Tee, vice president for administration and external affairs.
She also appeared before the Senate committee on environment, natural Resources, and climate change to testify on the incident. Tee said RDC is a “small corporation” but has its “own initiatives to help our kababayans (fellow citizens).”
She also met with local government officials of Oriental Mindoro on March 6. The meeting was held closed-door as requested by the company. Oriental Mindoro Governor Humberto Dolor told reporters that he met with representatives of RDC who apologized for the incident. The representatives told him they were not “just the children of the owner” but the actual “owners” of the company.
In the Senate hearing, she said RDC’s amended Certificate of Public Convenience had been approved by MARINA, and that MT Princess Empress was operating with a valid permit. This, however, was belied by senators and the chief of the regulatory agency, MARINA administrator Hernani Fabia, who said that the process of approving the amended CPC and the addition of MT Princess Empress to the company’s fleet - thus authorizing it to sail - was still not final.
Fritzie was a broadcast reporter of TV5, as gleaned from some materials from the web. She married Marc Justin Tee in 2018. She also has an Instagram account set to private.
The local government of Oriental Mindoro, which is expected to be most affected by the oil spill, plans to sue RDC for damage to the environment and loss of livelihood.
The company has put up a website with information about the incident as well as the steps RDC is taking in response to the oil spill: http://princessempressinformationcentre.com. - with Jodesz Gavilan/Rappler.com
The Philippines' maritime regulators are taking a closer look at the background of the tanker Princess Empress, which went down off Oriental Mindoro on February 28. The vessel had 900,000 liters of fuel oil on board, and the petroleum continues to leak out of its tanks, threatening a growing swath of the central Philippines with pollution. It is unclear whether the newbuild vessel had the correct documentation, and authorities now believe it is possible that it may have actually been a much older vessel - and may not even have started its life as a tanker.
Last week, Philippine shipping regulator Marina told a senate panel that Princess Empress was sailing without a required amendment to the operator's Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC). Shipowner RDC Reield Marine Services held a valid CPC for its overall business, but had allegedly not submitted the financial documents needed to secure a permit for the new vessel. However, an RDC spokesperson said that the company had completed the paperwork, and the Philippine Coast Guard quickly produced what appeared to be a complete CPC permit for the ship, signed and dated by Marina.
In an interview Thursday, a Marina spokesperson reiterated that the agency had no record of issuing a CPC permit for the ship, and noted that it would have published a public notice if it had given its approval.
According to Rappler, PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armand Balilo responded Thursday that his agency's inspectors rely on the good faith of the captain when they are presented with a ship's paperwork. If the documents were false, he said, then the shipowner should be held accountable.
The validity of the permit may have bearing on whether Princess Empress' insurer will have to pay for the extensive damages caused by the spill, including the loss of livelihood for thousands of fishermen and hospitality workers on Oriental Mindoro. The vessel had up to $1 billion in coverage for marine casualties, but any regulatory noncompliance on the operator's part could affect payout. A missing CPC would mean that Princess Empress could not legally sail on domestic voyages under Philippine law. "The insurance company will find a basis to not pay,” Sen. Cynthia Villar warned. "We should plan accordingly that we will not get that [payment]."
The Princess Empress' origins have also come into question since the sinking. Last week, Philippine Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla alleged that there may have been "misrepresentation" about the ship's status as a newbuild, and it may have been as much as 50 years old.
"This ship is not a brand new vessel, it is a rebuilt scrap - a rebuilt scrap ship rebuilt twice to become a tanker. It was not built to be a tanker from the very beginning," he told Rappler.
There may also have been previous close calls in which the vessel nearly capsized, he added.
An individual who claimed knowledge of the vessel's conversion provided TV outlet 24 Oras with photos and video purporting to show the reconstruction process in progress. He claimed that the vessel began life not as a tanker, but as an LPG carrier, the MV Dorothy.
Continued pollution
Oil is still leaking from the tanker, and a wind shift could carry it in a new direction. To date, it has drifted primarily to the south, down the east coast of Oriental Mindoro to the Caluya Islands. A change of weather patterns could push new leakage from the wreck site to the west, towards the town of Calapan, the provincial capital. This area is adjacent to the pristine Verde Island Passage (VIP), an area of exceptionally high biodiversity which serves as a breeding ground for important coastal fisheries. Marine scientists in the Philippines are concerned that if the spill reaches the VIP, it could cause severe damage.
“The Amihan winds [northeasterly seasonal trade winds], which contained most of the oil to the coasts of Nauhan and Pola in the previous weeks, are now more variable, allowing the oil to spread northwards,” warned the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute (MSI). “It is critical to stop the seepage before the end of the Amihan season, otherwise more critical biodiversity areas along the Verde Island Passage may be affected.”
The Philippine Coast Guard and local partners continue to work to contain the spill and clean it up, and they have called for international assistance. Japan's government has dispatched a team of technical advisors, and the U.S. Coast Guard is sending officers for a briefing and a discussion on Monday, Rear Adm. Balilo confirmed over the weekend. “It will be up to the US Coast Guard on how it would respond to the request of the Commandant - if they will immediately respond and what kind of assistance they could extend,” Balilo told the Philippine Star.
A Japanese salvage vessel, the Shin Nichi Maru, arrived in Calapan on Monday to assist with the spill response effort. The ship is equipped with an ROV, which will be used to confirm the wreck location and assist with efforts to stop the leakage, according to the Manila Bulletin.
MANILA, Philippines- Nagtungo sa National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) ang tatlo pang testigo sa umano’y rehabilitation ng 50 taong MT Dorothy Uno sa MT Princess Empress upang magbigay ng sinumpaang salaysay sa pagkakasangkot nila sa umano’y pagsasaayos.
Sa ulat nitong Biyernes, kasamahan ang tatlo ni alyas “Dodong”, na unang nagsiwalat sa mga awtoridad hinggil sa rehabilitasyon kasama ang mga depekto sa disenyo ng motor tanker na naging dahilan upang maapektuhan ito ng malalakas na alon.
Sinabi ni Dodong na nabahala rin siya matapos sabihin ng may-ari ng kumpanya na dapat gawing motor tanker ang barko. Ito ay orihinal na idinisenyo upang magdala ng mga suplay ng buhangin.
“Medyo alanganin kung tutuusin kasi tanker ‘yun. Dapat bago lahat kasi dangerous cargo ang karga. Di naman napalitan ang iba,” pahayag niya.
Lumubog ang MT Princess Empress sa karagatan ng Naujan, Oriental Mindoro habang lulan nila ang mahigit 900,000 litro ng industrial fuel oil noong Feb. 28.
Lahat ng 20 crew na sakay into ay nailigtas ngunit nagdulot ng malaking pinsala at oil spill sa ilang bayan sa probinsya at umabot na sa Palawan at Antique.
Nauna nang itinanggi ng kompanyang RDC Reield Marine Services ang alegasyon na luma o matanda na ang barko at ito ay original na nakadise syo na magbiyahe ng sand supplies.
Ayon sa NBI, nakikipag-ugnayan na sila sa iba pang government agencies sa pagkalap ng dokumento at ebidensya para sa case build-up sa insidente.
Samantala, tinitingnan na rin ng Department of Justice (DOJ) ang pagsasampa ng kaso laban sa kompanya na nagmamay-ari ng barko.
“Civil liabilities, criminal liabilities and administrative liabilities. Nagbuo tayo ng isang inter-agency committee, so, we will wait for reports from these involved agencies doon sa kanilang scope para magkaroon tayo nang mas malinaw na picture dito sa ating issue ng oil spill,” sabi ni DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano. Jocelyn Tabangcura-Domenden
Senators on Friday said officials of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) should be held liable, along with the owners of the sunken MT Princess Empress for the oil spill that wreaked havoc on the fishing villages and the marine ecosystem in Oriental Mindoro.
Senator Francis Escudero suspected that officials of the two state agencies may have been bribed by RDC Reield Marine Services Inc. to let the ill-fated ship set sail without the required certificate of public convenience from Marina.
Together with an oil spill boom and skimmer, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) goes around the suspected area of the sunken oil tanker MT Princess Empress at the northeast of Balingawan Port, Lucta Port, and Buloc Bay in Oriental Mindoro on March 14, 2023. PHOTO: Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation via Philippine Coast Guard
Senators on Friday said officials of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) should be held liable, along with the owners of the sunken MT Princess Empress for the oil spill that wreaked havoc on the fishing villages and the marine ecosystem in Oriental Mindoro.
Senator Francis Escudero suspected that officials of the two state agencies may have been bribed by RDC Reield Marine Services Inc. to let the ill-fated ship set sail without the required certificate of public convenience from Marina.
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“We have to dig deeper, especially on the side of Marina insofar as their accreditation procedure and personnel are concerned,” Escudero told reporters.
“On the part of [PCG] they were clearly ‘motivated’ to look the other way instead of looking out for the welfare of the people, our seas and [the] environment,” he said, adding:
“I will not be surprised if the investigation reveals that money changed hands somewhere, somehow.”
He, however, rejected the suggestion to immediately stop all the vessels of RDC from operating, noting that there was “no sufficient evidence on record yet of bad faith.”
The senator issued the statement after Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed that MT Princess Empress was a “rebuilt scrap” that was not intended to transport oil “from the very beginning.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros said the information disclosed by Remulla proved that officials of PCG and Marina committed “undeniable negligence and nonfeasance” that resulted in the oil spill.
READ: Hontiveros wants PCG, Marina execs held liable for Mindoro oil spill
Hontiveros said PCG should not have allowed the motor tanker to leave the port of Bataan a day before it sank off Pola, Oriental Mindoro, on February 28.
“[They] should face the full brunt of the law. They should answer not only for this incident, but also for the alleged eight other times that the scrap ship [was] allowed to sail,” she said.
On the other hand, she said Marina officials should also be held responsible for letting the ship continue to operate despite its supposed failure to meet the requirements for seaworthiness.
Hontiveros said investigators should have checked if RDC’s permit from Marina covered MT Princess Empress.
“I trust that the Senate committee on environment, natural resources and climate change will be able to ensure that the officials responsible for this environmental nightmare will be held to account for their actions,” Hontiveros said.
Sen. Francis Tolentino, who pushed for the Senate investigation of the incident, said the ship’s compliance with safety standards should have been met before it was
The Philippines' maritime regulators are taking a closer look at the background of the tanker Princess Empress, which went down off Oriental Mindoro on February 28. The vessel had 900,000 liters of fuel oil on board, and the petroleum continues to leak out of its tanks, threatening a growing swath of the central Philippines with pollution. It is unclear whether the newbuild vessel had the correct documentation, and authorities now believe it is possible that it may have actually been a much older vessel - and may not even have started its life as a tanker.
Last week, Philippine shipping regulator Marina told a senate panel that Princess Empress was sailing without a required amendment to the operator's Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC). Shipowner RDC Reield Marine Services held a valid CPC for its overall business, but had allegedly not submitted the financial documents needed to secure a permit for the new vessel. However, an RDC spokesperson said that the company had completed the paperwork, and the Philippine Coast Guard quickly produced what appeared to be a complete CPC permit for the ship, signed and dated by Marina.
In an interview Thursday, a Marina spokesperson reiterated that the agency had no record of issuing a CPC permit for the ship, and noted that it would have published a public notice if it had given its approval.
According to Rappler, PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armand Balilo responded Thursday that his agency's inspectors rely on the good faith of the captain when they are presented with a ship's paperwork. If the documents were false, he said, then the shipowner should be held accountable.
The validity of the permit may have bearing on whether Princess Empress' insurer will have to pay for the extensive damages caused by the spill, including the loss of livelihood for thousands of fishermen and hospitality workers on Oriental Mindoro. The vessel had up to $1 billion in coverage for marine casualties, but any regulatory noncompliance on the operator's part could affect payout. A missing CPC would mean that Princess Empress could not legally sail on domestic voyages under Philippine law. "The insurance company will find a basis to not pay,” Sen. Cynthia Villar warned. "We should plan accordingly that we will not get that [payment]."
The Princess Empress' origins have also come into question since the sinking. Last week, Philippine Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla alleged that there may have been "misrepresentation" about the ship's status as a newbuild, and it may have been as much as 50 years old.
"This ship is not a brand new vessel, it is a rebuilt scrap – a rebuilt scrap ship rebuilt twice to become a tanker. It was not built to be a tanker from the very beginning," he told Rappler.
There may also have been previous close calls in which the vessel nearly capsized, he added.
An individual who claimed knowledge of the vessel's conversion provided TV outlet 24 Oras with photos and video purporting to show the reconstruction process in progress. He claimed that the vessel began life not as a tanker, but as an LPG carrier, the MV Dorothy.
Continued pollution
Oil is still leaking from the tanker, and a wind shift could carry it in a new direction. To date, it has drifted primarily to the south, down the east coast of Oriental Mindoro to the Caluya Islands. A change of weather patterns could push new leakage from the wreck site to the west, towards the town of Calapan, the provincial capital. This area is adjacent to the pristine Verde Island Passage (VIP), an area of exceptionally high biodiversity which serves as a breeding ground for important coastal fisheries. Marine scientists in the Philippines are concerned that if the spill reaches the VIP, it could cause severe damage.
“The Amihan winds [northeasterly seasonal trade winds], which contained most of the oil to the coasts of Nauhan and Pola in the previous weeks, are now more variable, allowing the oil to spread northwards,” warned the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute (MSI). “It is critical to stop the seepage before the end of the Amihan season, otherwise more critical biodiversity areas along the Verde Island Passage may be affected.”
The Philippine Coast Guard and local partners continue to work to contain the spill and clean it up, and they have called for international assistance. Japan's government has dispatched a team of technical advisors, and the U.S. Coast Guard is sending officers for a briefing and a discussion on Monday, Rear Adm. Balilo confirmed over the weekend. “It will be up to the US Coast Guard on how it would respond to the request of the Commandant – if they will immediately respond and what kind of assistance they could extend,” Balilo told the Philippine Star.
A Japanese salvage vessel, the Shin Nichi Maru, arrived in Calapan on Monday to assist with the spill response effort. The ship is equipped with an ROV, which will be used to confirm the wreck location and assist with efforts to stop the leakage, according to the Manila Bulletin.
Thai authorities ordered their navy to assist in preventing an oil leak from a damaged floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel carrying 400,000 barrels of crude in the Gulf of Thailand.
The 1999-built Benchamas 2, owned by Malaysian shipping line MISC and operated by a unit of Chevron, suffered water ingress after a seal malfunctioned during routine maintenance.
One crew member has been confirmed dead, while the remaining 28 are said to be safe and the ship is stable. The Royal Thai Navy said that the crude oil heating system is not working due to a lack of power, raising the potential for an oil leak.
The 104,500 dwt FSO, with a storage capacity of 650,000 barrels, has been in operation at the Benchamas field in Block B8/32 in the Gulf of Thailand since 2018. It sits about 207 km off Sattahip in Chon Buri province.
Last year, an estimated 50,000 litres of oil leaked into the ocean from a subsea pipeline owned by Star Petroleum. Some of the oil reached the shoreline of the eastern province of Rayong, causing damage to the local environment and tourism.
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are looking at the claim of a witness that MT Princess Empress is already a rebuilt scrap.
“We will look at these declarations. Very important kasi ‘pag sinabi na bago yung barko [These declarations are very important because if the vessel is new], they’re saying already there’s a very little chance they have any liability in this case,” Remulla said over Radio DZBB.
“Pero pag nakita na luma na yan, reconditioned, syempre nakatutok kaagad sa kanila yung atensyon [Once confirmed that this (vessel) is old, reconditioned, of course, the attention of everyone is already on them],” Remulla added.
The claim of the witness is very serious, said Remulla, that the DOJ tagged both the NBI and PNP Crime Lab for help.
“We will continue with the investigative process,” he said.
The DOJ chief added that they will also coordinate with Marina “to give us the permitting process to walk us through how they gave MT Princess Empress all these regulatory permits needed for it to be able to set sail in Philippine waters.”
Remulla said the vessel should have been subject to an inspection as part of the permitting process.
On possible liabilities of government officials, if there are any and that of the owner of the vessel, Remulla said “we will look at everything first. It is very hard to conclude what violations was committed without talking to them and without getting all the papers.”
He said the vessel should have undergone inspection prior the issuance of permits.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into the grounding of the reported three sister vessels of MT Princess Empress which sank off the cost of Naujan in Oriental Mindoro and spilled 800,000 liters of industrial oil.
The oil spill has reportedly spread to nearby provinces and has affected several tourist sites and beach resorts. The greater disaster caused by the oil spill is the effects on the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.
On the grounding of the three alleged sister vessels of MT Princess Empress, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said: “Dapat dito kung similar vessels i-ground din natin lalo na same owner ‘yan (These vessels should be grounded especially they belong to the same owner).”
Remulla said that “MT Princess Empress is the newest licensee. Apat na barko ‘yan. Hindi lang nila maipasok sa isang permit (These are four vessels. The owner just didn't place them in one permit).”
“Habang maaga awatin na natin kasi ito baka paulit-ulit mangyari sa atin (This early, we should stop them before the same incident happens again),” he said.
Earlier, Remulla had said that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has in its possession an affidavit from a person who is privy to information about MT Princess Empress. He did not identify the person.
“Isang major finding natin ay hindi siya brand new vessel (One of the major findings is that the vessel is no longer new),” said Remulla who noted some misrepresentations that MT Princess Empress was a brand- new vessel.
He said he was also informed that despite gale warnings, the vessel still left the port on Feb. 28 and eventually sank.
“It was not built to be a tanker from the very beginning. And we’re looking from the angle of insurance also kasi parang may insurance siyang napakalaki (because it appears it has a large amount of insurance),” he added.
Amidst reports that the vessel is insured for a billion dollars, Remulla assured that he will not allow any insurance fraud.
At the same time, Remulla said an inter-agency panel will be formed in the case-build up to determine civil and criminal cases that may be filed against the owners of the MT Princess Empress.
There is a need for a “whole government approach” to the oil spill issue and the NBI will be part of the panel, he said.
He said that officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) will be summoned to the DOJ as part of the ongoing investigation.
“We will tell them to bring everything about the Princess Empress that they have on file and everybody who has something to do with the process na binigyan sila ng mga permits (that they issued the permits),” he said.
He said the vessel should have undergone inspection prior the issuance of permits.
He also said that MARINA will be asked “to give us the permitting process na dinaanan ng lahat (to give us the permitting process that everyone has to go through), to walk us through how they gave MT Princess Empress all these regulatory permits needed for it to be able to set sail in Philippine waters.”
Also, Remulla said that on top of civil and criminal liabilities, the panel would also look into the extent of the damage caused by the oil spill.
“We will be contacting one of the foremost authorities in the world’s marine biodiversity, Dr. Kent Carpenter, na tulungan tayo rito (to help us here) to estimate, to assess the damage brought by this oil spill,” he revealed.
Wikipedia says Dr. Carpenter “is a professor of a professor of biological sciences at Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, Virginia” and whose “ work in marine biogeography for the Indian Ocean and west Pacific Ocean has led to work in marine conservation and comparative phylogeography using population genetics, with a special interest in the Philippines.”
フィリピン沖でタンカー沈没。工業用油80万リットル流出 03/06/23（日本海事新聞）には
フィリピン沿岸警備隊（PCG）は2日、「東ミンドロ沖で沈没した小型タンカー「MT PRINCESS EMPRESS」（1100重量トン、2022年竣工）が積載していた約80万リットルの工業用油が流出、東ミンドロ州の海岸に到達したと発表した。PCGによると、同船は2月28日、オーバーヒートによるエンジントラブルで漂流、約80万リットルの工業用油を積載し沈没した。」と書かれていたがとんでもない展開になっている。
フィリピン沿岸警備隊（PCG）隊員が不正や癒着に関与した可能性が疑われているし、フィリピン沿岸警備隊（PCG）とMaritime Industry Authority (MARINA)：日本では海運局のような組織がお互いに非難しあうような展開になっている。疑惑が事実として確認されれば、起訴される公務員達が存在するようだ。
日本でも「地獄の沙汰も金次第」と言う言葉が存在するが、何が事実なの確認できない状態で、いろいろな問題や矛盾な点が出てきている。そして少なくとも誰かが不正か、犯罪に関与していなければ説明が付かない事が矛盾点として明らかになっている。
MANILA -- Justice secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said the government is gathering information for the possible filing of complaint against those liable for the sinking of the MT Princess Empress which leaked its cargo of 800,000 liters of industrial oil.
"Ang tawag ngayon ay (It's called) case build up. We are sorting out the evidence so that we can file the proper complaint, collate all the data. But as far as we’re concerned, there are possible cases to be filed,” Remulla said in an ambush interview.
“This will be filed by the legal office of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and we intend to do this by Tuesday, and sana tapos na by then ang ating pag aaral (and hopefully, by then, we have already finished our evaluation). We will go over the weekend to study this case,” he added.
Remulla said the DOJ is looking at every possible angle - environmental damage, health risks, damage to biodiversity, among others — with a planned visit at the sinking site to validate their initial findings and enable them to devise strategies.
He said among the major findings is that the ship was a scrap ship that was rebuilt twice to become a tanker.
Remulla said there were also misrepresentations made with the condition of the vessel, since the owners told the DOJ and the Philippine Coast Guard last Saturday that the vessel was only two years old, which is new by Philippine standards.
“There were misrepresentations made from the start," he said.
The DOJ chief added that initial investigations also suggested that a similar near sinking of the vessel had happened before, and that on the day before the incident, a warning was sent against sailing due to gale conditions.
The MT Princess Empress sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28 and eventually sank the following day, causing a widespread oil spill into the Tablas Strait that has reached as far as the provinces of Antique and Palawan.
The incident affected nine municipalities in Oriental Mindoro (Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Basud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulalacao); one in Antique (Caluya); and two in Palawan (Taytay and Agutaya); with more than 137,000 individuals affected by the oil spill.
In Oriental Mindoro alone, the DOJ said more than 99,000 people have been affected, 122 of whom have fallen ill. (PNA)
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Armand Balilo shows a copy of the certificate of public convenience supposedly issued to the owner of MT Princess Empress, which sank off Oriental Mindoro causing an oil spill that threatens ecosystems and communities in southern Luzon.
The ill-fated MT Princess Empress was so old that it had already been scrapped, contrary to claims that it was a new vessel, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday.
Remulla said the government is looking to file both criminal and civil cases in connection with the sinking of the tanker that resulted in an oil spill now threatening the ecosystem in Oriental Mindoro and neighboring provinces.
“It is a rebuilt scrap... It was not built to be a tanker from the very beginning,” Remulla said.
Remulla said investigators have an affidavit from an individual who knew about how the allegedly old vessel had been rebuilt.
“Ang NBI is on it already... They’re doing the studies now. They’re conducting field interviews," Remulla said.
The statement supposedly detailed where the scrap had been dumped, where it was taken, and where it was built.
‘MT Dorothy’
In John Consulta's exclusive report on "24 Oras," witness “Dodong” showed GMA Integrated News photos and videos of the ship rehabilitation.
The ship was said to have been known previously as the LPG tanker MT Dorothy before it became MT Princess Empress. It was rebuilt in Navotas in 2020.
“Scrap value na 'yan eh. Pwede nang ibenta sa junk shop. 'Yung ilalim hindi napalitan,” Dodong said.
(That's scrap value. You could sell it at the junk shop. The bottom has not been changed.)
Remulla said the vessel could already be 50 years old.
He said there might have been an intent to deceive from the start due to claims that the tanker was brand new.
“Ang sinabi raw sa Coast Guard ay bagong bago itong barkong ito. At hindi pala siya bago. Ito ay luma na, scrap na. Scrap na siya na ni-rebuild. Unang ni-rebuild para maging LPG carrier tapos ni-rebuild na naman. Pinahaba para maging tanker,” Remulla said.
(The PCG was supposedly told that it was quite new. But it turned out that it was not new. It's already old, it's already scrap that has been rebuilt. It was first rebuilt to be an LPG carrier and then it was again rebuilt. It was made longer to become a tanker.)
“The utterances after the occurrence of the fact, ‘yung sinabi sa Coast Guard na bagong-bago yung barko, parang may intent to deceive na sa simula't sapul pa lang. Kaya dapat tignan natin itong bagay na ito,” Remulla said.
(There may be an intent to deceive in telling the PCG that it was a new vessel. We have to look into it. )
Insurance claims
Remulla said investigators were also looking at the insurance angle.
“And we’re looking from the angle of insurance also kasi parang may insurance siyang napakalaki,” Remulla said.
The ill-fated MT Princess Empress was so old that it had already been scrapped, contrary to claims that it was a new vessel, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday.
Remulla said the government is looking to file both criminal and civil cases in connection with the sinking of the tanker that resulted in an oil spill now threatening the ecosystem in Oriental Mindoro and neighboring provinces.
“It is a rebuilt scrap... It was not built to be a tanker from the very beginning,” Remulla said.
Remulla said investigators have an affidavit from an individual who knew about how the allegedly old vessel had been rebuilt.
“Ang NBI is on it already... They’re doing the studies now. They’re conducting field interviews," Remulla said.
The statement supposedly detailed where the scrap had been dumped, where it was taken, and where it was built.
‘MT Dorothy’
In John Consulta's exclusive report on "24 Oras," witness “Dodong” showed GMA Integrated News photos and videos of the ship rehabilitation.
The ship was said to have been known previously as the LPG tanker MT Dorothy before it became MT Princess Empress. It was rebuilt in Navotas in 2020.
“Scrap value na 'yan eh. Pwede nang ibenta sa junk shop. 'Yung ilalim hindi napalitan,” Dodong said.
(That's scrap value. You could sell it at the junk shop. The bottom has not been changed.)
Remulla said the vessel could already be 50 years old.
He said there might have been an intent to deceive from the start due to claims that the tanker was brand new.
“Ang sinabi raw sa Coast Guard ay bagong bago itong barkong ito. At hindi pala siya bago. Ito ay luma na, scrap na. Scrap na siya na ni-rebuild. Unang ni-rebuild para maging LPG carrier tapos ni-rebuild na naman. Pinahaba para maging tanker,” Remulla said.
(The PCG was supposedly told that it was quite new. But it turned out that it was not new. It's already old, it's already scrap that has been rebuilt. It was first rebuilt to be an LPG carrier and then it was again rebuilt. It was made longer to become a tanker.)
“The utterances after the occurrence of the fact, ‘yung sinabi sa Coast Guard na bagong-bago yung barko, parang may intent to deceive na sa simula't sapul pa lang. Kaya dapat tignan natin itong bagay na ito,” Remulla said.
(There may be an intent to deceive in telling the PCG that it was a new vessel. We have to look into it. )
Insurance claims
Remulla said investigators were also looking at the insurance angle.
“And we’re looking from the angle of insurance also kasi parang may insurance siyang napakalaki,” Remulla said.
(We are looking at the angle of possible insurance claim because it's a hefty sum.)
RDC Reield Marine Services Incorporated, the owner of the MT Princess Empress, denied the allegations that the ship could be 50 years old already.
The owner, however, declined to comment on the allegations that the ship was built to carry sand and that the ship did not follow the gale warnings of weather bureau PAGASA.
Remulla said that the government is looking to file cases against the owners of the sunken MT Princess Empress.
When asked how the Department of Justice could assure that justice will be served for those affected by the oil spill, Remulla said criminal cases would be filed against those who will found liable.
Criminal cases
“We will run after them. We can assure you that we will not stop. We will run after them... Hindi ito civil case lang. Criminal cases will be filed against those perpetrators,” Remulla said.
(It's not just a civil case. Criminal cases will also be filed against the perpetrators.)
He said officials are sorting out the evidence and collating the data necessary to build a case.
According to Remulla, the owners had been informed about gale warnings on February 27 before sailing.
He said that on the midnight of February 28, they were again told that it would be difficult to sail as the waters were somewhat turbulent.
The MT Princess Empress sank on February 28 off Najuan. The PCG said on Thursday that it was carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil and not 800,000 as previously reported.
Almost 100,000 residents in the province have already been affected by the oil spill.
Approximately 591 hectares of coral reefs, 1,626 hectares of mangroves, and 362 hectares of seagrass or seaweeds could meanwhile be potentially affected by the effects of the oil spill, according to the DENR.
‘P128-million damage’
Meanwhile, in a separate ambush interview, Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said damage to livelihood in the area is now at P128 million.
“It was about P128 million worth of livelihood for the fishermen and those that, siguro merong fisheries or aquaculture… And it was determined na nine out of the 15 municipalities doon po ay affected na po,” Clavano said.
(It has caused P128 million worth of livelihood losses for fishermen and those who own fisheries or aquaculture. It was determined that nine out of the 15 municipalities are already affected.)
“And we have to change the scene of the crime every day, redefine the total area every day, dahil po patuloy pa po yung oil na nag se-spread doon sa area na iyon,” he said.
(The oil spill continues to spread in the area every day.) — VAL/NB/BM, GMA Integrated News
Justice Secretary Boying Remulla says there is 'misrepresentation' in the incident because authorities were earlier told the vessel was brand new
MANILA, Philippines – The sunken MT Princess Empress causing an oil spill in Oriental Mindoro and nearby provinces was not brand new, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla revealed on Thursday, March 16.
“Isang major finding natin ay hindi siya brand new vessel. Itong barkong ito ay hindi brand new vessel, it is [a] rebuilt scrap – rebuilt scrap ship na dalawang beses ni-rebuild para maging tanker. It was not built to be a tanker from the very beginning,” the DOJ chief told reporters.
(One of our major findings is that it (MT Princess Empress) was not a brand new vessel. This ship is not a brand new vessel, it is a rebuilt scrap – a rebuilt scrap ship rebuilt twice to become a tanker. It was not built to be a tanker from the very beginning.)”
Remulla said that the first time the ship was rebuilt, it was modified to become a liquefied petroleum gas carrier. Then it was rebuilt as a tanker during the second rebuilding. The justice secretary added they were now holding an affidavit from someone who gave important details about the ship.
The DOJ was among the agencies tapped to look into the oil spill incident. Along with the Philippine Coast Guard and the National Bureau of Investigation, the DOJ held a meeting to establish the so-called “scene of the crime” of the incident, Remulla earlier said.
According to him, there was “misrepresentation” in the incident because authorities were earlier told the vessel was brand new. He added they were also told the ship was only two years old.
Remulla also confirmed it was possible that there were prior incidents where the ship almost capsized.
“Meron ding lumalabas na gano’n. ‘Yon ang dino-document natin ngayon mula sa mga records ng agencies na kasama ‘pagkat kailangan talaga ma-define ito. Itong scene of the crime, ano ‘yong nature ng environmental crimes committed, and the legal strategy has to be mastered by the DOJ so that we can go to the very bottom of this para hindi na ito maulit sa ating mga karagatan,” the justice secretary said.
(That’s also a possibility. That’s what we are documenting now from the records of agencies involved because we need to define this. This scene of the crime, the nature of the environmental crimes committed, and the legal strategy have to be mastered by the DOJ so that we can get to the very bottom of this so that it does not happen again in our waters.)
He added that the operators of the ship were given a warning before they sailed, but MT Princess Empress still pushed through with its trip.
The department was also looking at the insurance angle because the ship “seemed” to have a large amount of insurance, Remulla added. The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) earlier revealed that the vessel was insured for $1 billion.
On February 28, the vessel capsized off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, while carrying an estimated 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil. It was en route to Iloilo from Bataan when it capsized and caused an oil spill in waters nearby. On March 6, authorities said the sunken ship was spotted around 7.5 nautical miles from Balisangan Point near the town of Pola, Oriental Mindoro.
At least 76 coastal barangays in nine towns in Oriental Mindoro have since been put under state of calamity.
As the probe into the incident continues, Marina this week said the vessel had no permit and sailed at least nine times before its sinking. However, the Philippine Coast Guard presented the supposed documents of the ship.
On Thursday, Marina insisted MT Princess Empress was a “colorum” or unlicensed vessel. – Rappler.com
That’s how Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla described the MT Princess Empress that sunk near Oriental Mindoro and is now leaking oil.
It was also revealed that the oil spill could have been prevented if the ship heeded gale warnings. - The World Tonight, ANC, March 16, 2023
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) released to the public the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) of the sunken motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress to contradict reports that the agency allowed the vessel to operate without the necessary permit.
the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC)：運航許可証みたいな物がないとなっていなのに、The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)：フィリピン沿岸警備隊が
CPC（運航許可証）はあったと１日もたたないうちに会見で答え、CPC（運航許可証）のコピーまで提示した。
コピーの写真を見る限り、現場でチェックしたィリピン沿岸警備隊員が疑問に思わないほど本物との違いがわからなかったと言う事だろう。サインとか、書類の番号、発行された日などが公開されているのでこの書類が偽造なのか、賄賂などの不正な方法で作成されたのか確認できると思うので、何が事実なのかは数日でわかると思う。
しかし、コピーを取っておくのは良い事だ。嘘かどうか確認できるし、嘘でなければ、誰が書類を偽造したのか、それとも不適切な方法で書類を作成したのか確認は出来る。日本では 高市早苗経済安保担当相に関する放送法をめぐる総務省作成とされる内部文書の件で揉めてるが、書類のコピーがあるのに答えが出ないおかしな展開になっている。
上記は下記の記事のコピーを拡大したものだが、Interim Class Certificateが「05 December 2022」に有効期限が切れる点以外では発行された証書が本物であれば問題ない事になる。Interim Class Certificateが発行されていると言う事は、検査した会社がどこなのかは不明だが、存在すると言う事。このコピーがいつ検査された時のコピー次第では、現場の書類チェックでは問題は発見されないと言うシステムの問題が明らかになったと思う。the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC)：運航許可証が本物なのか確認が出来るまで何とも言えないが、もし、偽造であれば、フィリピンはオンラインで簡単に確認できるような対応を取らない限り、今後もこのような問題は解決できないと言う事になると思う。
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), says they only relied on the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) presented by the MT Princess Empress during its transactions and inspections whenever they sail.
The oil spill caused by the sinking of MT Princess Empress has affected more than 143,000 individuals in 12 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, and Antique.
Photos: Philippine Coast Guard / PCG
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) released to the public the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) of the sunken motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress to contradict reports that the agency allowed the vessel to operate without the necessary permit.
Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, presented the CPC of MT Princess Empress to the media on Tuesday, March 14. The PCG also uploaded the document online via its official Facebook page, "Philippine Coast Guard."
According to the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), a CPC is an authorization issued by them to a vessel “for a domestic water transportation service for commercial/public use for which no franchise, either municipal or legislative is required by law.”
“Apat na beses nang ginamit ito ng nasabing barko sa mga transakyon niya sa Philippine Coast Guard – one in Manila, one in Cebu, one in Misamis Oriental, at isang beses rin sa Iloilo (and one in Iloilo). Pinache-check pa namin ‘yung ibang mga bayan kung saan siya dumaong, kung may inspeksyon na ginawa at kung may sinubmit na CPC (The said vessel has used this [document] for four times already in its transactions with the Philippine Coast Guard. We are still checking what other areas the vessel docked, if there were inspections conducted, and if there was a submitted CPC),” Balilo said in an interview on Wednesday, March 15.
The document released by Balilo included a MARINA decision dated Nov. 16, 2022 which amended the CPC of RDC Rield Marine Services, Inc., the owner of MT Princess Empress, and allowed the sunken tanker “to effect the permanent addition of the ship/tanker, M/TKR Princess Empress, to the company’s fleet.”
“As far as we are concerned, we relied on this document kaya namin pinayagan ‘yung barko na maglayag (As far as we are concerned, we relied on this document that’s why we allowed the vessel to operate),” Balilo said.
However, the PCG spokesperson said the document will still be subjected to further investigation: “Mayroon na nga kaming nakikita pero iniimbestigahan pa namin, may instruction kahapon na paimbestigahan (We are seeing something but it is still subjected to an investigation, there was an instruction yesterday to investigate).
“Una parang ‘yung pirma, ano ba ‘to original signed? Tapos ‘yung MARINA ba ay mag-aagree dito? Parang ang initially kasi may denial ang MARINA eh tapos may denial din kahapon ‘yung may-ari ng barko sa Senate na for approval pa ang CPC. Eh ano itong binibigay niyo sa amin kapag naglalayag kayo? (First is the signature, is it original signed? Then will the MARINA agree to it? Initially there was a denial from the MARINA, and there was a denial from the owner of the vessel, too, yesterday in the Senate that their CPC was still up for approval. Then what is it that you’re presenting to us when you are sailing?” Balilo said.
The move came as MARINA Administrator, lawyer Hernani Fabia, said in a Senate inquiry on Tuesday, March 14, that the agency has yet to issue an amended CPC to RDC Rield Marine Services, Inc. following the recent addition of the MT Princess Empress to its fleet.
According to RDC Rield Marine Services Inc., the tanker was commissioned in 2022.
During the inquiry, Fabia said the RDC Rield Marine Services Inc. still has a pending application to MARINA which the agency was supposed to hear. The company, according to Fabia, was still missing documents for their application for an amended CPC to be granted.
RDC Vice Pres. Fritzie Tee said during the inquiry that their company applied for an amended CPC and submitted all the required documents in November 2022.
Cleanup efforts
Meanwhile, a total of 5,603 liters of “oily water mixture” have so far been collected by the PCG as efforts to contain the massive spill affecting Oriental Mindoro and other areas from the sunken MT Princess Empress entered its second week.
The PCG said that from March 1 to 14, it also racked up 50 sacks of oil-contaminated materials during its offshore oil spill response operations.
Offshore oil spill response operation refers to the cleanup done in the vicinity of the affected waters using sea vessels, PCG public affairs officer Joy Diane Gumatay explained.
Seven hundred liters of such mixture and six sacks of oil-contaminated materials were gathered on Tuesday alone, March 14, by PCG tugboats (MTUG) Lidagat and (MTUG) Titan-1.
Further, the PCG also collected 1,071 sacks and 22 drums of waste during its shoreline response operations at 13 affected barangays in the municipalities of Naujan, Bulalacao, and Pola in Oriental Mindoro in the same period.
Shoreline response operation, on the other hand, pertains to the cleanup operations in the seashore which relies more on manpower, Gumatay said.
The PCG said 140 sacks of oil-contaminated materials were pulled from the shore on Tuesday alone.
143K residents affected
The massive oil spill caused by the sinking of MT Princess Empress on Feb. 28 off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro has already affected 31,497 families or 143,713 individuals in Regions 4B (Mimaropa) and 6 (Western Visayas), the Office of Civil Defense reported on Wednesday.
The tanker was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank.
The affected areas include the municipalities of Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay, Gloria, and Bulalacao (San Pedro) in Oriental Mindoro; Agutaya and Taytay in Palawan; and Caluya in Antique.
“There was an instruction given to us yesterday to investigate,” PCG spokesperson Armand Balilo said in a media interview. “First, is the signature on here original? Then would Marina (Maritime Industry Authority) agree to this?”
“Then the owners of the ship denied yesterday at the Senate that they have an approved CPC (certificate of public convenience). Then what is this document that you are giving us when you are sailing? This has to be explained by the owners,” Balilo continued.
A CPC is a permit that the Marina issues to ships for public use.
The PCG on Tuesday night posted on its social media a document showing that MT Princess Empress had a permit to operate, contrary to Marina’s findings presented during a Senate hearing earlier in the day.
A CPC is a permit that the Marina issues to ships for public use.
The PCG on Tuesday night posted on its social media a document showing that MT Princess Empress had a permit to operate, contrary to Marina’s findings presented during a Senate hearing earlier in the day.
Presumption of regularity
But it turned out it was the document RDC Reield Marine Services, which owns MT Princess Empress, presented to PCG personnel during inspections before the tanker was allowed to sail.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Armand Balilo shows a copy of the certificate of public convenience supposedly issued to the owner of MT Princess Empress, which sank off Oriental Mindoro causing an oil spill that threatens ecosystems and communities in southern Luzon.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard said Wednesday it is investigating the authenticity of the permit presented to its personnel to allow MT Princess Empress to sail at least four times before it sank off the waters of Oriental Mindoro, causing an oil spill that threatens ecosystems and communities.
“There was an instruction given to us yesterday to investigate,” PCG spokesperson Armand Balilo said in a media interview. “First, is the signature on here original? Then would Marina (Maritime Industry Authority) agree to this?”
“Then the owners of the ship denied yesterday at the Senate that they have an approved CPC (certificate of public convenience). Then what is this document that you are giving us when you are sailing? This has to be explained by the owners,” Balilo continued.
A CPC is a permit that the Marina issues to ships for public use.
The PCG on Tuesday night posted on its social media a document showing that MT Princess Empress had a permit to operate, contrary to Marina’s findings presented during a Senate hearing earlier in the day.
The document — a November 16, 2022 decision by the Marina to allow the amendment of the CPC issued to the owner of MT Princess Empress to include the tanker in its fleet — was posted online hours after the Senate environment panel’s inquiry into the oil spill, during which the PCG did not present or make reference to it.
Presumption of regularity
But it turned out it was the document RDC Reield Marine Services, which owns MT Princess Empress, presented to PCG personnel during inspections before the tanker was allowed to sail.
“As of the moment what our people on the ground say is that we relied on the CPC to allow the ship to sail. And on several occasions, that was what the shipowner submitted to the Philippine Coast Guard,” Balilo said.
He added: “Now, if this CPC is said to be spurious or fake, it’s up to the company to prove otherwise. But for us, this is what we are holding on to because of the presumption of regularity.”
The document supposedly presented to PCG personnel allowed MT Princess Empress to sail at least four times from the ports of Manila, Bataan, Iloilo and Misamis Oriental, Balilo said.
RDC vice president Fritzie Tee said during the Senate hearing that their motor tanker was able to sail nine times before it sank in the waters off Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro on February 28. Marina said this happened all while the ship had no permit.
Tee, however, insisted that her company has a CPC and that they applied as early as November 2022 and completed the submission of all required documents for its amendment to include the tanker that, she said, was commissioned in 2022.
She admitted that they still submitted additional requirements for the amendment of the CPC in December 2022, a month after the supposed amended CPC was issued by Marina.
The tanker is leaking oil that has affected over 108,000 people in 118 barangays in Oriental Mindoro and Palawan, according to the Office of Civil Defense.
In an update on Wednesday, the OCD said the oil spill has affected 68 areas, while 122 people have either been injured or have fallen ill because of the incident. There are 31,497 families in MIMAROPA and Western Visayas regions also affected, while the livelihood of 13,654 farmers and fishermen was also impacted by the oil leakage.
(2nd UPDATE) The Philippine Coast Guard initially shares documents supposedly showing that the sunken ship had a permit to operate but says a day later it will investigate whether such documents submitted by the ship's owner are authentic
MANILA, Philippines — Hours after a Senate inquiry heard the country’s maritime regulator say that the sunken oil tanker, MT Princess Empress, had no permit, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which was also represented in the hearing, posted documents online seeking to discredit the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) chief’s statements.
The PCG on Tuesday night, March 14, shared on social media six pages of the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) supposedly issued by MARINA to RDC Reield Marine Services Inc, the owner of MT Princess Empress which sank off Oriental Mindoro on February 28 with 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil. MARINA’s mandate is to “lead a progressive maritime administration for safer people, safer ships, and cleaner environment.”
“Considering further that applicant is deemed financially capable to maintain its operations, having complied with the financial standard ratios under the 2014 amendments, and that all documentary requirements are in order and complied with, the Authority hereby amends the certificate of public convenience of applicant, RDC Reield Marine Services, Inc. to effect the permanent addition of the ship/tanker, M/TKR ‘PRINCESS EMPRESS,’ to the company’s fleet,” the document reads.
The certificate, issued on November 16, 2022, also says that the permit will expire on February 6, 2042.
After Tuesday’s hearing but before the PCG released the documents, RDC issued a statement saying November 16, 2022 was the date it “filed the application for amendment,” and it “completed documentary requirements on December 2, 2022.”
That statement was consistent with what was said in the hearing by RDC vice president Fritzie Tee. MARINA Administrator Hernani Fabia told senators that the company’s application was still pending due to financial documents that had yet to be submitted to regulators.
Asked in a News5 interview on Wednesday morning, March 15, a PCG official said it was unable to fully explain the Coast Guard’s side during the hearing due to “pressure in communication.”
“There was just no opportunity to explain further, you saw the situation there,” said PCG oil spill response incident commander Geronimo Tuvilla.
After the MARINA report about MT Princess Empress was read during the hearing, senators criticized the Coast Guard for allowing the ship to sail nine times already, including on February 28 when it left the private port, SL Harbor Terminal, in Limay, Bataan.
The pre-departure checklist for MT Princess Empress showed seven boxes were unticked, including the CPC requirement, Senator Risa Hontiveros disclosed during Tuesday’s hearing.
PCG maritime safety services commander Joseph Coyme had even said it would conduct administrative investigations, after Senator Raffy Tulfo asserted that Coast Guard officers who cleared MT Princess Empress that day should be charged and put in jail.
“Vice Admiral Coyme’s explanation was right. That’s the normal procedure for police and armed forces. What he meant was we won’t tolerate if someone among our ranks commits a violation,” Tuvilla said on Wednesday morning.
“It is painful for us as an organization to be subjected to incomplete information,” he added.
But also on Wednesday morning, MARINA spokesperson Sharon Aledo stood by the agency’s statement that RDC has yet to update its certification.
“They filed an application, but they have yet to comply with all the documentary and qualification requirements, pursuant to the guidelines under the 2014 amendments to Republic Act 9295 or the Domestic Shipping Development Act,” Aledo said in a Teleradyo interview.
Later on Wednesday, PCG spokesman Arman Balilo told reporters that the document it previously posted on social media was the permit given by the company to the Manila station of the PCG.
“As far as we’re concerned, we relied on this document, that’s why we allowed the ship to sail,” Balilo said, adding that the PCG would now investigate to determine whether the permit was authentic.
Senator Hontiveros lamented the “confusion” on Wednesday morning in an interview with DZBB.
“So, what is it? Which of them is right?” she said. “During the hearing, resource persons made an oath to tell only the truth. If not, they may face perjury.”
Pre-departure inspection of domestic vessels is a task of PCG under Republic Act 9993, but limited manpower and resources have made the practice impractical.
The PCG’s mandate to conduct pre-departure inspection of vessels is “no longer practiced in other parts of the world,” now-Coast Guard deputy chief Jay Tristan Tarriela wrote in a 2019 Rappler piece.
“It is about time that our lawmakers pass a dedicated law for the shipping industry that explicitly defines the responsibility and accountability or the shipowners once an incident occurs,” he said.
Why the permit issue matters
RDC’s insurance coverage hangs in the balance due to the controversy surrounding MT Princess Empress’ authority to travel.
RDC had said the sunken ship was insured for $1 billion or around P55 billion under a Protection and Indemnity (P&I) coverage.
“If the ship is ‘colorum’ or without an updated CPC, it might not be able to claim indemnity insurance,” Hontiveros said on Wednesday.
Senator Cynthia Villar also pointed out in the hearing that insurance companies usually find a way to justify rejection of insurance claims.
The oil spill in Oriental Mindoro has affected nine towns in the province and 108,000 individuals. A total of 122 people have also fallen ill, local officials said.
The ship was carrying “black oil” which is considered toxic, and authorities are racing to contain the spill. — Rappler.com
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday said it is checking the validity of the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) of MT Princess Empress following questions that it sailed without such permit.
“We relied on the CPC para payagan ‘yung barko na maglayag,” said PCG spokesperson Commodore Armando Balilo in a press conference.
He said the Coast Guard relied on the presumption of regularity of the documents that were issued last November 16, 2022. He added they were presented to the PCG and showed that they were validated by Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).
“So this is the certificate of Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) that was submitted to us to Coast Guard Station Manila last February 27, noong dumaan ‘yung Motor Vehicle Princess Empress,” he said.
“To effect the Permanent Addition of the ship/tanker. M/TKR "PRINCESS EMPRESS*, to the company's feet, to operate in the tramping service for the carriage of persistent oil (black products), to any port in the Philippines, effective from date hereof valid until the expiration of the company's CPC on 00 February 2042, pursuant to Section 7.11,” it said.
alilo noted that the said ship was used four times in the transactions with the PCG — one each in Manila, Cebu, Misamis Oriental, and Iloilo City.
“Pinache-check pa namin ‘yung ibang mga bayan kung saan siya dumaong, kung may inspeksyon na ginawa at kung may sinubmit na CPC. Pero as far as we are concerned we relied on this document kaya namin pinayagan ‘yung barko na maglayag,” he added.
“Pinapa-check namin yung validity ng CPC, sinasama na namin sa investigation,” he said, noting that it is not easy to determine whether the document is fake or not.
Balilo added that PCG would investigate if its boarding team did not inspect MT Princess Empress before it sailed last February 27.
The MT Princess Empress sank on February 28, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel. Oil spills were reported in several areas in Mindoro, prompting the coastal town of Pola to declare a state of calamity.
According to the PCG, the motor tanker sank 400 meters into the ocean, which was too deep for divers to reach.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said more than 2,000 hectares of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass could be affected.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has placed an oil spill boom to contain the spill while the clean-up operations are ongoing. — LDF, GMA Integrated News
According to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), on Friday 10th March, a Philippine landing craft struck a tugboat in the port of Cebu, sinking the tug and claiming the life of one crewmember.
In its incident report posted on social media, the tug Nagasaka was towing the landing craft Jana Juliana a few hundred yards off Colorado Shipyard, a repair yard located northeast of downtown Cebu. The landing craft’s port bow struck the tug, causing the tug to sink, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
When the tug begun to snik, the crew jumb into the water. However, one crewman from Nagasaka was initially reported missing.
On Saturday 11th March, fishermen from the city of Lapu-Lapu – on the other side of the Mactan Channel – located the body of the missing crewmember, and the family has confirmed his identity, according to the PCG.
The previous week, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) focuses on an incident in which PCG rescued five Japanese crew members from the Mongolian-flagged fishing vessel Catriona, which had taken on a severe list off Navotas, Oriental Mindoro.
According to CNN Philippines, around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, the PCG said MV Catriona had an accident then took on water and tilted to its side in waters off Navotas in Calapan.
The PCG said BRP Habagat successfully located the distressed vessel and reported that all rescued crewmen are in good physical condition.
Under the Oil Compensation Act of 2007, a charterer can’t be made to pay for pollution damage. Environmental groups, however, say the cargo owner should also be made to pay based on the 'polluter pays principle.'
MANILA, Philippines – A subsidiary of San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage Corporation – SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation – chartered RDC Reield Marine Services (RDC) to ship the 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil from Limay, Bataan to Iloilo last February 28, Rappler learned from government officials.
The officials made the claim based on documents they have seen. MT Princess Empress sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro reportedly after encountering big waves and strong winds that day.
In the shipping business, a charterer enters into an agreement with the ship owner to deliver cargo. The charterer pays the ship owner for the use of the vessel. Although San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage has its own tankers, it also charters other shipping companies for deliveries.
Asked in an email whether SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp. was indeed the charterer, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) spokesperson Sharon Aledo said, “We only received direct information from the shipowner’s representatives that SL Harbour Terminal Corp. was the loading port.” Aledo did not respond to a follow-up email on whether she can say that SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp. may not have been the charterer and cargo owner since RDC only told them that this was the “loading port.”
RDC declined to say on Monday, March 13, whether SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp. was the charterer of MT Princess Empress, invoking its non-disclosure agreement.
Rappler sent an email on Monday to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) asking for confirmation on the charterer, but was told the question should be directed to other offices. DENR is the agency coordinating the oil spill cleanup work.
SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation, a registered importer of petroleum products, is a subsidiary of San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage. It owns fuel storage facilities in Limay, Bataan, as well as an oil terminal in Tagaloan, Cagayan de Oro.
San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage Corp. is under publicly listed San Miguel Corporation, a diversified conglomerate led by its president, Ramon S. Ang. It handles the shipping requirements of the conglomerate. The conglomerate’s shipping business is separate from its oil (Petron Corp.) and energy (SMC Global Power Holdings Corp.) business.
Why does this matter?
In a statement on March 5, San Miguel’s fuel and oil firm, Petron Corporation, clarified that MT Princess Empress “was not carrying products from the Petron Bataan Refinery nor does Petron own the fuel oil cargo the tanker was carrying at the time of the incident.”
Petron is the Philippines’ largest oil company, capable of supplying around 40% of the country’s fuel requirements. It has an oil refinery in Limay, Bataan, which processes crude oil into various petroleum products. For its industrial fuel oil requirements, Petron now sources it from abroad through importation.
“With major investments for the enhancement of our refinery, Petron has stopped producing fuel oil since 2016,” it said, adding, however, that it was still assisting in the cleanup after the oil spill.
The conglomerate, however, has so far been silent on SL Harbor’s involvement as a charterer.
Rappler reached out to San Miguel for comment on March 9, March 10, and March 13. As of posting, it has not responded to our emailed questions, saying in a text message that they were “still getting in touch with SL Harbor for details.” We will update this story in case the San Miguel camp responds.
Lack of transparency
Under Republic Act 9483 or the Oil Pollution Compensation Act of 2007, no claim for pollution damage compensation may be made against “any charterer.” This law provides that liability on pollution damage lies on the “owner of the ship at the time of an incident.”
RDC officials did not respond to reporters who sought to interview them in Pola, Oriental Mindoro on March 4 and March 6.
However, in a meeting with local officials, Fritzie Tee, vice president for administration and external affairs of RDC, expressed “the company’s commitment to address the cleanup and containment of the oil spill,” according to a company press release on March 6.
In a statement on Monday, March 13, Tee said: “We are truly sorry that this incident has affected the livelihoods of those living in the impacted areas and the spill’s effect on the environment. We are committed to doing everything possible to minimise the ongoing impact on the environment and people’s lives and clean up the spill.”
She said the company’s “primary focus at this stage remains on the oil spill response and we are adopting a phased approach as advised by experts.”
On Friday, March 10, Liza Osorio, Oceana Legal and Policy Director, lamented the lack of transparency in this latest oil spill.
“Sana lumitaw na sya. Bakit tahimik? (The cargo owner should emerge. Why the silence?),” she told Rappler.
Who’s liable
In an interview with radio DZBB on March 9, Aledo, also the legal chief of MARINA, said that based on interviews with the crew of MT Princess Empress, the 500-ton tanker encountered “breaking waves” reaching 3 to 4.5 meters and wind speed of 20 to 22 knots” which led to the sinking.
“Yun yung isa sa mga (This is one of the) incidents that led to the sinking, but the probable root causes have not yet been determined,” she said.
She said the “direct cause” of the sinking has yet to be determined since the MT Princess Empress was still deep in the sea, making a physical inventory of its equipment and inspection impossible.
Aledo agreed that industrial fuel oil is also called “black oil,” which she said is “more toxic” than other fuels like diesel.
She said RDC officials told regulators the ship was insured for $1 billion or around P55 billion under a Protection and Indemnity (P&I) coverage.
She said, however, that the ship’s insurance is “subject to provisions on limitations of liability under RA [Republic Act] 9483” or the Oil Pollution Compensation Act of 2007.
Asked if the company will be able to claim insurance for this oil spill, she said a P&I answers compensation due to any damage and/or injury, but this has to go through a process.
Aledo said it was “incumbent” on the ship owner to file an insurance claim.
According to the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), a P&I is a “liability insurance for practically all maritime liability risks associated with the operation of a vessel.” IRMI’s mission is to provide risk management and insurance information and training.
Last Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said the municipality of Pola has created “TASK FORCE POLA to pursue appropriate legal actions against the owner, operator, or insurer of MT PRINCESS EMPRESS in proper courts or administrative agencies for the damages they incurred.”
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Mayor Jennifer Cruz of Pola, Oriental Mindoro said the task force would first meet on Monday, March 13 to assess the extent of damages on the environment as well as loss of livelihood and tourism prior to suing the parties involved.
Polluters should pay
Three environmental groups are also demanding that the government “ensure that the companies responsible for the disaster are held accountable.”
In a joint statement on March 9, Greenpeace Philippines, Oceana, and Center for Energy Ecology and Development (CEED), said the Marcos administration should also “show its concrete plans to protect the affected communities and ecosystems.”
“There are accountability measures in place already in our laws…and in these laws, there is a ‘polluter pays’ principle. Under this is RA 9483, which spells out the liability for those responsible for the oil spill,” said Osorio.
She added that this “covers cleanup operations at sea, preventive measures, consequential laws or loss of earnings, pure economic loss, and even damage to human health or loss of life, among others.”
“I believe that the government already has the necessary tools, but what is more important is that these accountability mechanisms should be enforced,” she said.
Osorio, in the Rappler interview, said it is “unfortunate” that the Oil Compensation Act of 2007 excludes the cargo owner of a sunken vessel from liability. However, she said “the general rule under transportation law makes the charterer liable depending on the type of charter.”
“If the charterer is negligent in packaging the goods, such as not ensuring the ship is following international regulations, then the charterer is liable,” Osorio said.
“However, we have a rule on statutory construction that a special law like RA 9483 (Oil Pollution Compensation Act) will prevail over general law. In essence, RA 9483 will be the controlling law,” she said.
Osorio said environmental groups are looking into other laws, such as the Amended Fisheries Code or Republic Act 10654, the Clean Water Act, as they contemplate their legal actions in response to the oil spill.
“We’re looking at all angles right now,” she said, noting that there are decided cases wherein the polluter has been made to pay by the DENR’s Pollution Adjudication Board.
Osorio said the Philippines is also a signatory to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) which prescribes other measures on prevention pollution by ships due to “operational or accidental causes.” Among others, it mandates that new oil tankers have double hulls. This convention was adopted in 1973 and entered into force in 1983. A protocol amending it took effect in 2005.
In an interview with radio DZBB on Monday, March 13, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said MT Princess Empress had double hulls. He said MARINA requires that all oil tankers should have double hulls for added protection. In this incident, he said the crew lost control of the vessel.
When asked whether the oil tanker was taking the correct route, he said the MARINA had approved the route MT Princess Empress took.
Greenpeace Philippines, Oceana, and CEED asserted that such a disaster is likely to happen again if the country continues to rely on fossil fuel energy.
“This incident is one of many that the fossil fuel industry has seemingly moved on from, while continuing to pass the burden onto affected communities. The least our government and whoever is responsible for the spill can do is to be completely transparent about the actual impacts, how much worse it can get, and what they are doing to mitigate this disaster,” said Greenpeace campaigner Jeff Chua.
“More importantly, there must be accountability from the companies involved, especially the owner of the cargo. They must pay for the immediate and long-term damages their business operations have caused, especially in the disruption of livelihoods and access to ecosystem services,” he said.
Gov’t responses
On March 8, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the DENR to speed up the cleanup in the affected areas affected by the oil spill.
In a Palace statement, Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said “the rate of discharge of oil from the sunken vessel is estimated between 35,000 to 50,000 liters a day.”
She added that the oil spill in Antique and Semirara Island was continuing to spread.
Models of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that Naujan and Pola in Oriental Mindoro would be the hardest hit, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.
Loyzaga said “the vessel owner’s insurance provider has offered to bring in a ship from China to plug the leak of the vessel.”
She said that around P60 million has been set aside for the cash-for-work program of the Department of Labor and Employment for families affected by the oil spill.
The Palace said the DENR is also coordinating with local government units, the vessel owner, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development on “potential additional source of funds for the cash-for-work program as assistance to the affected residents.”
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the areas to be given the temporary means of livelihood include the towns of Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, Gloria, Naujan, Pinamalayan, Pola and Roxas in Oriental Mindoro; Caluya in Antique; and Agutaya in Palawan.
The Japanese government has sent a Disaster Relief Expert Team on oil removal and control, including 5 from Japan’s Coast Guard, to support the Philippine government’s efforts. It is sending oil blotters, oil snares, and oil-proof working gloves for the cleanup.
The Philippine government is also looking into whether this year’s Balikatan exercises between the Philippines and the US can be tapped for cleanup drives in areas affected by the oil spill.
Projected damage
Meantime, the UP Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) has estimated that the oil spill would impact 20,000 hectares of coral reef, 9,900 ha. of mangroves and 6,000 ha. of seagrass in Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, and Antique in the Visayas, with around half of the “potentially affected reefs (11,000 ha.) in the Cuyo group of islands, Palawan.
Based on the institute’s modeling as of March 5, the projected spill would continue to the Cuyo group of islands and “will get closer to northern Palawan mainland in about a week’s time.” World-renowned Amanpulo Resort is located in the Cuyo group of islands, Palawan.
UP MSI said Karagatan Patrol, an online platform for illegal fishing activities, mapped the areas affected by the oil spill based on verified reports of oil slick sightings and onshore deposits.
“Patterns of oil sighting strongly coincide with the oil spill trajectory model of the UP MSI,” it said.
The UP MSI added, however, that “the model results are model forecasts and accuracy is difficult to determine,” and “does not account for dispersion, evaporation, emulsification, and degradation of the oil and assumes that the oil behaves like persistent buoyant particles.”
On March 12, UP MSI said that based on its simulation focusing on the tanker’s location from March 10 to 16, “with continuous release of oil from the alleged seepage location, most of the oil will end up along Naujan coast and Pola Bay.”
It also warned: “However, due to the weakening Amihan, some of the oil may flow northwards towards the Verde Island Passage by March 16, affecting coastal areas of Calapan, Verde Island, and some parts of Batangas. The oil spill threatens the global center of marine biodiversity located in the Verde Island Passage (VIP).”
In a disclaimer, UP MSI said the model was based on “weathering characteristics of the bunker oil and a seepage rate of 1,000 barrels per day,” adding that “these assumptions…are based on best available information.”
In a forum on March 9, Ram Joseph Temeña of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office in Oriental Mindoro, said 111 barangays with fisherfolk and 19,556 affected families from Nauhan to Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro are affected by the oil spill.
Mayor Mary Jean Te of Libertad, Antique, in the same forum, said, “We’re worried na mag-shift ang hangin at mapunta dito sa amin ang (that the wind would change direction towards us) oil spill. It’s tuna season here in our area and tons of fish are being caught through sustainable fishing. We have the biggest number of mangroves and well-managed coastal resources here in northern Antique.”
In a separate statement, Father Edwin Gariguez, a Catholic priest who has been active in environmental causes in Oriental Mindoro, said that at least 18,000 fisherfolk in Oriental Mindoro “have been robbed of their livelihood” with fishing activities put on hold.
He also warned of food insecurity in the coming years for the affected communities.
“We call on the Philippine government for most urgent action to contain the spill, assess the severity of damage, and prioritize the welfare of impacted communities who must receive livelihood support and protection from health impacts,” he said.
“We also demand accountability from the owner of MT Princess Empress, RDC Reield Marines Services, and the fuel supply it contains.”
The Senate committee on environment, natural resources, and climate change, chaired by Senator Cynthia Villar, is set to hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 14 on the Mindoro oil spill. – with reports from Ralf Rivas and Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com
On Friday, a Philippine landing craft struck a tugboat in the port of Cebu,
sinking the tug and claiming the life of one crewmember.
At about 1520 hours, the tug Nagasaka was towing the landing craft Jana Juliana
a few hundred yards off Colorado Shipyard, a repair yard located northeast of
downtown Cebu. The landing craft's port bow struck the tug, causing the tug to
sink, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The first crewmember to jump over the side was missing after the sinking, and
the PCG sent a dive team from Special Operations Group - Visayas to search the
wreck, without success.
First responders also deployed a boom around the wreck of the tug in order to
contain any potential spill, but only minimal sheening was observed.
On Saturday, fishermen from the city of Lapu-Lapu - on the other side of the
Mactan Channel - located the body of the missing crewmember, and the family has
confirmed his identity, according to the PCG.
Lt. j.g. Stephen Pagcaliwagan, a local spokesperson for the PCG, identified the
missing mariner as Joseph Villamor.
PCG rescues five Japanese fishermen in distress
In a separate incident over the weekend, the PCG rescued five Japanese crew
members from the Mongolian-flagged fishing vessel Catriona, which had taken on a
severe list off Navotas, Oriental Mindoro.
At about 0630 hours on Saturday, the PCG Command Center received word that the
Catriona was in distress, and watchstanders worked with PCG Station Oriental
Mindoro to launch a SAR operation. The crew of the patrol vessel BRP Habagat
located the distressed vessel and successfully rescued five Japanese crew
members, all in their 70s and 80s. These individuals were identified as Itsuo
Tamura, 86; Hiromu Nishida, 83; Hamagato Tsukasa, 80, Osamu Kawakami, 74; and
Hata Isamu, 74.
According to the crewmembers, they had departed Japan and were under way for
Davao when the vessel ldeveloped a serious list.
The PCG SAR team performed a medical check-up on the survivors to ensure that
they were in good physical condition.
The Catriona was taken in tow and brought back to a nearby port for a dive
inspection.
MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Philippine Coast Guard rescued five Japanese crew members Saturday morning aboard MV Catriona in waters off Navotas, Calapan in Oriental Mindoro after encountering a maritime incident.
The foreign nationals said they departed Japan en route to Davao before their fishing vessel was accidentally damaged, causing it to list. They were later rescued at around 6:30 a.m.
"Upon receipt of the report from a transiting vessel, the PCG Command Center coordinated with the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog and PCG Station Oriental Mindoro to conduct a search and rescue operations, " said the Coast Guard in a social media post.
Those rescued to by the BRP Habagat (TB-271) were the following:
Isuo Tamura: 86-years-old
Hiromu Nisiha: 83-years-old
Hamgayo Tsukasa: 80-years-old
Osamu Kawakami: 74-years-old
Hayaan Isamu: 74-years-old
"The PCG SAR team also confirmed that the five Japanese crew members of fishing vessel, MV CATRIONA, are in GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION, " added the Coast Guard.
Five Japanese crew members of a fishing vessel were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) after they encountered a maritime accident off Calapan, Oriental Mindoro on Saturday morning, March 11.
Rear Adm. Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said MV Catriona encountered vessel listing at approximately 2.6 nautical miles northeast of Silonay Island in Calapan around 6:30 a.m.
Photo: Philippine Coast Guard / PCG
Five Japanese crew members of a fishing vessel were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) after they encountered a maritime accident off Calapan, Oriental Mindoro on Saturday morning, March 11.
Rear Adm. Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said MV Catriona encountered vessel listing at approximately 2.6 nautical miles northeast of Silonay Island in Calapan around 6:30 a.m.
Listing occurs when a vessel tilts to one side after taking in water.
The PCG identified the rescued crew as Osamu Kawakami, 74; Itsuo Tamura, 86; Hata Isamu, 74; Hiromu Nishida, 83; and Hamagato Tsukasa, 80.
“According to the Japanese crew members, they departed Japan en route to Davao. While underway, MV Catriona was accidentally damaged, causing the vessel to list,” Balilo said in a statement.
Balilo said the vessel had a hole in it which caused water to seep in.
A transiting vessel sighted the tilted MV Catriona and reported its condition to the PCG.
After receiving the report, the PCG Command Center coordinated with the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog and Coast Guard Station Oriental Mindoro to conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation.
The PCG deployed BRP Habagat (TB-271) until the SAR personnel located the vessel and the crew.
The PCG SAR team confirmed that the five Japanese crew members were in good physical condition. They were brought to Port of Calapan for further assessment.
The MV Catriona in the waters off Oriental Mindoro where five Japanese crew members were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Photo from the Philippine Coast Guard)
MANILA, Philippines — Five senior citizen Japanese crew members of a distressed vessel were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday off the coast of Oriental Mindoro.
The PCG said that the MV Catriona was en route to Davao from Japan when it took in water and listed.
“The [PCG] has rescued five Japanese crew members on board MV Catriona that encountered a maritime accident (vessel listing) in the vicinity waters off Navotas, Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, at around 06:30 a.m. today,” the PCG in a Facebook post.
(Photo from the Philippine Coast Guard)
The PCG’s search and rescue unit and the BRP Habagat were dispatched to the area and rescued the Japanese seafarers – Itsuo Tamura, 86; Hiromu Nishida, 83; Hamagato Tsukasa, 80; Osamu Kawakami, 74 and Hata Isamu, 74.
“The PCG SAR team performed a medical check-up on the rescued individuals to ensure they remained in good physical condition,” the PCG said.
More details will be released in a progress report, the PCG added.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has rescued five Japanese crew members on board MV CATRIONA that encountered a maritime accident (vessel listing) in the vicinity waters off Navotas, Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, at around 06:30AM today, 11 March 2023.
Upon receipt of the report from a transiting vessel, the PCG Command Center coordinated with the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog and PCG Station Oriental Mindoro to conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation.
The PCG SAR team on board BRP Habagat (TB-271) successfully located the distressed vessel and carefully rescued the following Japanese crew members:
The national government has been pressed to hold MT Princess Empress’ owner accountable for the oil spill in the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, that may affect as many as 21 marine protected areas.
The call came days following the sinking of the ill-fated oil tanker vessel last Wednesday, carrying a load of 800,000 liters or 210,000 gallons due to engine trouble.
The Philippine Coast Guard later determined the spillage was a mixture of industrial fuel oil.
PCG spokesperson vice admiral Armand Balilo said Friday that any legal action to be taken against the operator would be determined after a proper and thorough investigation.
“We assure them due process. After that, then we will come to the filing of appropriate cases,” Balilio said.
However, farmer and fisherfolk Rep. Wilbert Lee contended that government should run after the owner of the sunken vessel due to concerns that crucial protected areas are put at risk and that containment, cleanup, and rehabilitation of impacted areas are necessary.
“The livelihood of many fishermen in Mindoro and other provinces surrounding the contaminated sea will be in peril,” said the solon.
Aside from pursuing those responsible, Lee argued that the government should act promptly to aid and provide temporary work to the fishers impacted by the oil spill.
The PCG earlier declared that all maritime activities in the waters near four towns in Oriental Mindoro are suspended due to the spread of the oil spill.
According to the PCG’s report, the oil spill has now reached Western Visayas, with fuel traces discovered in Caluya, Antique.
Meanwhile, Congress is gearing up to pass a supplemental budget to mitigate the effects of the disaster, a move it made in 2006 when it granted at least P5.4 billion in supplemental appropriations to sectors affected by the Guimaras oil spill.
It remains the most destructive after the oil tanker MT Solar 1, carrying more than two million liters of bunker fuel, sank off Panay Island’s southern coast during a violent storm.
A Philippine oil tanker, which sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro and caused a major oil spill in nearby areas, is insured for $1 billion, according to a government official.
The ship, named MT Princess Empress, capsized on Feb. 28 while carrying 800,000 litres of industrial oil. It sank the following day after experiencing engine trouble and was not found until Monday.
Covered for “every incident”
Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) spokesperson Sharon Aledo said in an interview that the ship is owned by RDC Reield Marine Services (RDC) and is covered by a $1 billion protection and indemnity insurance that has coverage for “every incident,” including an oil spill.
Aledo noted that the regulatory body met with the owners of the shipping company, who told MARINA that the Princess Empress was insured. She also affirmed that the RDC president is Reynaldo Cabial, and that the shipping company has a valid Certificate of Public Convenience for the sunk oil tanker.
She added that it was “incumbent” on the RDC to file an insurance claim following the oil spill. A report from the Philippine Coast Guard on Friday noted that eight drums of “oily waste” have already been collected from the site of the sinking near the coast of Sitio Sabang, Barangay Tinogboc, Caluya, Antique. The clean-up efforts were temporarily halted to ensure the health and safety of the Coast Guard’s response team.
In the aftermath of the incident, MARINA has suspended the shipping company’s safety certificate and has also issued a show cause order to explain what happened. Aledo urged the shipping company to attend to the affected coastal communities since that is part of their responsibility.
In response to this, a high-ranking official of the RDC shipping company participated in a closed-door meeting with government officials to assure that it would not evade responsibility. RDC vice president for administration and external affairs Fritzie Tee expressed “the company’s commitment to address the clean-up and containment of the oil spill.”
The Captain of the Port in Gibraltar has received a report about the damage to the OS 35 shipwreck caused by recent storms.
The damage to the accommodation block and hull was expected, but is not considered extensive.
The crack in the hull of the bulk carrier has extended to the port side and the ship is now held together by the bilge keel. However, the wreck has not moved from its original position following its controlled sinking last September as part of a plan to stabilize it for heavy weather.
The damage to the hull has allowed divers to inspect fuel tank 1, which has suffered damage. The other set of fuel tanks remain undamaged. The dive survey has confirmed with certainty that the tanks, which had been emptied in earlier stages of the operation, are still intact and are not at risk of failing.
Photo courtesy Gibraltar Port
The removal of the vessel’s cargo is the first priority, and the damage caused by the storms has not impacted the cargo removal operations. So far, crews have removed 11,000 metric tons of steel bars, representing about a third of the ship’s total cargo.
Small amounts of residual oil have been found on some beaches, but no secondary contamination or debris was detected.
The Captain of the Port has briefed Spanish authorities and other stakeholders on the latest information.
“The damage to the vessel’s hull and accommodation block, whilst not ideal, were anticipated and prepared for with the removal of as much oil as possible and the complete stripping of the accommodation,” said The Captain of the Port, John Ghio. “These measures, together with the decision to sink the wreck in a controlled manner and thereby secure it in place, gave the vessel the maximum possible stability to withstand the winter storms as far as possible. Overall, I’m pleased that works continue to progress well, with cargo removal remaining as the current priority.”
The Tuvalu-flagged bulk carrier was departing from Gibraltar Port with a load of steel bars when it collided with the unladen LNG carrier Adam LNG in the Bay of Gibraltar on August 29, 2022. The OS 35 was then anchored off Catalan Bay, on the opposite side of the Gibraltar peninsula, where it partially sank and later broke up, resulting in the release of fuel oil.
Authorities have given the ship’s owners and insurers until the end of May to complete the wreck removal.
MANILA, Philippines – The Japanese government is sending oil control experts from its coast guard to aid in Philippine efforts to respond to the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro.
Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa made the announcement on Wednesday, March 8, saying that experts arriving include those who specialize in oil removal and control.
“We are one with you in these trying times,” Koshikawa said.
Coastal communities are among those hardest hit by a February 28 oil spill, where a tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil capsized off the coast of Naujan.
MANILA, Philippines – The oil tanker MT Princess Empress, which sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro with 800,000 liters of industrial oil, is insured for $1 billion which the ship owner should claim, a regulatory official said on Tuesday, March 7.
In an interview on TV5, Sharon Aledo, spokesperson of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), said the MT Princess Empress, owned by RDC Reield Marine Services (RDC), is covered by a $1 billion Protection and Indemnity Insurance for “every incident” including an oil spill.
Aledo said MARINA has met with the shipping company owners who told regulators that the ship was insured. She said RDC’s president is Reynaldo Cabial, and the shipping company has a valid Certificate of Public Convenience for MT Princess Empress.
She said it was “incumbent” on the shipping company to file an insurance claim following the oil spill.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has promised to provide assistance to those affected by the oil spill brought on by the sinking of a tanker in Oriental Mindoro.
In a statement, the President said that affected families and individuals will receive assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
"The government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, is prepared to provide various forms of assistance to families and individuals affected by the oil spill caused by the submerged MT Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro," Marcos said.
The President said the government, with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) serving as the lead agency, is closely monitoring the developments.
He said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is likewise working with the International Maritime Organization and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to provide support and determine specific needs.
"Special attention will be given to the affected fisherfolks who will be losing their source of livelihood because of the oil spill," Marcos said.
"We also thank the private corporations like Petron and Shell, who have offered their help by lending us the needed equipment to mitigate the impact of the oil spill," he added.
On February 28, the PCG reported an oil spill from the MT Princess Empress, which capsized off the coast of Naujan earlier that day, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil as cargo.
Reports indicated that the vessel experienced engine trouble brought by overheating while in transit to Iloilo province from Bataan province, causing it to drift towards Balingawan Point in Naujan.
It then partially sank due to rough sea conditions until it fully submerged on Wednesday.
Twenty crew members of the MT Princess Empress crew were rescued.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council ordered the creation of a task force that will monitor the impact of the oil spill.
Task force member-agencies include the Mimaropa offices of the DENR, DILG, DSWD, Department of Health, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, PCG-Southern Tagalog District, Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command and Mimaropa local government units.
By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora and 'Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Philippine government is looking at tapping Japan to help contain a rapidly spreading oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, a result of the tanker M/T Princess Empress capsizing off the coast of Naujan town on Feb. 28.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on Saturday said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is working with relevant agencies to contain and recover the slick but the spill has already reached another area in the province.
A PCG report also said the oil leak was starting to affect three villages in Caluya, Antique.
“’Yung Coast Guard nandoon. Tinitignan nila kung papaano pigilan pa ‘yong pagkalat ng langis. Sana ay huwag umabot sa Verde Island dahil ito ay protected area natin (Our Coast Guard is there and monitoring how it could further prevent the spill from spreading. Hopefully, it will not reach Verde Island, which is a protected area),” Bautista said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
Verde Island is located between Batangas province and Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro.
“Siguro ay hihingi kami ng tulong sa Japanese government dahil nabanggit sa akin na malaki ang kakayahan ng Japanese government na matulungan tayo para hindi masyadong kumalat ang oil spill na ito sa ating islands sa Mindoro (We’re looking at asking the Japanese government for help because I was told that it has the capacity to assist us),” he added.
The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) estimated that 20,000 hectares of coral reef, nearly 10,000 hectares of mangroves, and 6,000 hectares of seagrass are at risk in 21 municipalities across Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, and Antique.
Among these are Calapan, Puerto Galera, and Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro; San Jose in Occidental Mindoro; and Coron in Palawan.
In an earlier bulletin, the UP-MSI said the spill might reach the southern tip of Mindoro in a matter of days, given the direction of the wind and waves.
Other efforts being done to help understand the spill include hydrodynamic modeling to determine where the oil might end up given the wind and currents in the area, the institute said.
Bautista, meanwhile, said an investigation is underway on the sunken tanker, which was carrying about 800,000 liters of fuel oil, and which reportedly capsized due to engine trouble.
“Ang sinasabi napakalakas daw ng alon. Mabuti at ‘yong mga crew ay nasagip ng dumadaang sasakyan. Iyon ay iniimbestigahan pa ng MARINA (They said it was due to the strong waves. It’s fortunate that the crew were safe after they were rescued by a passing ship. MARINA [Maritime Industry Authority] is now investigating this),” he said.
Mindoro and Palawan are home to world-famous dive sites, known for their rich marine biodiversity, coral reefs, and sea creatures.
MANILA (UPDATE) - The oil spill from the sunken oil tanker in Oriental Mindoro has reached Caluya, Antique, the Philippine Coast Guard said Saturday.
According to a report from the PCG District Western Visayas, the oil spill was monitored in the shorelines of the following areas in Caluya town:
Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Tinogboc (1km)
Liwagao Island, Brgy. Sibolo (2km)
Sitio Tambak, Brgy. Semirara (2km)
A clean-up in those areas is currently ongoing, the PCG said.
The MT Princess Empress sank with its cargo of 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil as it sailed into rough seas off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday.
The PCG said the vessel could be 300 meters under the sea, but expert divers could only reach 180 meters deep.
The PCG advised residents from four municipalities in Oriental Mindoro to avoid fishing activities due to possible oil hazards.
In Liwagao Island, around 150 families or 600 residents have been affected by the oil spill, the agency said.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the government is prepared to provide aid to families and individuals affected by the oil spill.
"Special attention will be given to the affected fisherfolk who will be losing their source of livelihood because of the oil spill," he said.
In a statement, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Secretary Rex Gatchalian will lead the distribution Saturday of aids under the agencfy’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations and cash-for-work programs.
Gatchalian said over 7,000 affected families in Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Bongabong, Gloria, and Bansud in Oriental Mindoro have already started receiving family food packs on Friday in coordination with Oriental Mindoro Governor Bonz Dolor.
He said the number of affected families may reach 10,000.
“This will be a sustained endeavor while the oil spill prevents our fisher folk from conducting their regular livelihood activities,” Gatchalian said.
The DSWD MIMAROPA has prepositioned more than P78.9 million worth of standby and stockpile funds composed of some 42,400 family food packs, and standby funds amounting to P7.2 million which can be tapped for augmentation, the agency said.
The tanker Princess Empress, carrying some 800,000 litres of fuel oil, sank off the Philippines on 28 February after engine trouble. The crew of the tanker were rescued, but an oil spill has ensued with a task force now trying to contain it.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Princess Empress departed from Bataan en route to Iloilo with twenty crew members (including the master) and approximately 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil on board. It then encountered engine trouble due to overheating.
As a result, the vessel drifted towards the vicinity waters off Balingawan Point, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, due to rough sea conditions until it became half-submerged. The PCG later revealed the vessel is now fully submerged. It is positioned on the eastern side of Mindoro Island at an estimated distance of 8 to 12 nautical miles.
A foreign vessel that was in the area, MV Efes, has rescued the vessel’s crew before the vessel sank with no injuries reported. They were transported to Subic, Zambales.
Oil spill response
On 1 March, the PCG reported an oil spill had occurred, with oil covering an area of 6 kilometres long and 4 kilometres wide. Later, the organisation confirmed the presence of a much thicker and darker oil spill at about 7.4 nautical miles southwest off Balingawan Point, Naujan.
An oil spill response has been initiated with one of the coast guard tugs equipped with oil spill recovery equipment, the MTug Titan, starting to spray oil dispersants in the area. In addition, The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) created a task force to deal with the spill.
The PCG is leading the taskforce and has also mobilised certified oil spill response organisations to support their operations. PCG is installing spill booms to protect the locally-managed marine protected areas. In addition, mechanical recovery of spilled oil in waters off Naujan town is underway.
The shipping company that owns MT Princess Empress, RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., has begun retrieval operations and arranged for the help of Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation (MTSC) in addressing the oil spill in the area.
On 2 March, oil has also been found along the shoreline of Barangay Buhay na Tubig in Pola, Oriental Mindoro. Teams haven been sent to this location to initiate clean-up.
Cargo could cause wider oil spill
So far, water samples have only confirmed the presence of the diesel oil used by Princess Empress, according to the PCG, but it is also carrying industrial oil that is much thicker than diesel and more harmful to the local marine wildlife.
CG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armando Balilo: ‘We need to remove this because it can spill at any time and could become an environmental catastrophe.’ If the incident worsens, he says the country may also reach out to past partners in oil spill exercises like Indonesia and Japan.
Further aerial surveillance will take place in the coming days to assess the situation. 21 locally-managed marine protected areas (LMMPAs) can potentially be affected due to oil spillage.
Negligence
Possible negligence on the part of the shipping company is being looked at and may result in charges being filed following an investigation.
Picture (top): Oil spill being monitored from the sky (photo: Philippine Coast Guard).
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Wednesday, March 1, that it has prepositioned all of its available assets to help in the retrieval of motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress which sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil as cargo.
Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said BRP Melchora Aquino, a 97-meter multi-role response vessel, and tugboat Titan were deployed in the area with sonar and oil spill boom while the Coast Guard Aviation Force conducted aerial inspection in the area to pinpoint the location where MT Princess Empress capsized on Feb. 28 and prevent the oil spillage from spreading.
The motor tanker sank 11 nautical miles from the municipal waters of Naujan, affecting the livelihood of the fishing community there, but its exact location underwater was not determined yet.
So far, the oil spill involving the diesel oil of the motor tanker already spread into the municipal waters of Naujan, particularly at Balingawan Point, with an estimated area of six kilometers long and four kilometers wide from the initial observation of five km long and 500 meters wide on Tuesday.
“Wala pang pangamba o panganib na madudulot ito sa yamang-dagat doon sa kabuuan ng incident area pero ang pinangangambahan ay kapag tumagas ‘yung industrial fuel oil. Ito ‘yung malapot kaya magiging problema ito (There is no threat yet to the marine resources in the incident area but what’s feared is if the industrial fuel oil spills. This is the sticky oil so it will be a problem),” Balilo said in a radio interview with dzBB.
Balilo said the diesel fuel can easily dissipate under the heat of sun or when hit by big waves because its particles are thin. Industrial fuel oil is different because its particles are thick and can harm fish, coral reef, and other marine resources.
The industrial fuel oil are cargoes onboard the MT Princess Empress which also sank underwater when the tanker’s engine overheated after being hit by huge waves while sailing off Naujan. The tanker was traveling from Bataan to Iloilo when it encountered bad weather around 2 a.m Tuesday.
“Kailangan pong tanggalin siya kasi anytime ito ay tatagas at magiging environmental catastrophe (We need to remove it [industrial fuel oil] because it can spill anytime which can lead to an environmental catastrophe),” Balilo stressed.
Lessons from Guimaras oil spill
Balilo said they already have the capability and experience to respond to massive oil spill incidents after the 2006 Guimaras oil spill. It can be recalled that MT Solar 1 sank off the coast of Guimaras on Aug. 11, 2006 which resulted to an oil spillage of more than 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel.
“Kung nakita natin ang barko, ang plano is hahatakin ito malapit at isasadsad. Kung kaya sa port, dadalhin para masipsip ang krudo. Ang problema wala na tayong makita, ang pwede na lang gawin mag-abang ng oil spill at makipag-usap sa company kung may salvage operation na gagawin (If only we have seen the ship, our plan is to tow it near the shore and ground it. If possible, we can bring it to the port so we can suck the crude oil. The problem is that we can no longer see it, and what we can only do now is to wait for an oil spill and talk to the company if there is a salvage operation),” he said.
The shipping company of MT Princess Empress, RDC Reield Marine Services, Inc., is leading the retrieval operations for the sunken motor tanker while the PCG is assisting them. The shipping company also contracted a towing company, Malayan Towage, to assess the oil spillage in the area.
“Mayroon naman silang arrangement sa salvage companies, mayroon silang oil spill response pero nandyaan din ang PCG at tinatap naming ang mga kumpanya ng langis na may oil spill response para pagtulung-tulungan na (They have an arrangement with salvage companies, they also have an oil spill response but the PCG is there and we already tapped oil companies with oil spill response capabilities to help),” Balilo said.
If worse comes to worst, Balilo said they can ask for assistance from other countries where they teamed up for oil spill response exercises in the past like Japan and Indonesia.
“Kung talagang masayadong malaki, maging karatig-bansa tumutulong kung talagang ‘di masawata. Pero sa tingin ko naman ay handa tayo at hopefully ang preparation namin ay maayos at enough (If it [oil spill] is really massive, even neighboring countries can help if we cannot really suppress it. But I think we are prepared and hopefully our preparation is orderly and enough),” he noted.
The PCG will also investigate if there is negligence on the part of the shipping company so appropriate charges could be filed.
Meanwhile, the 20 crew members of MT Princess Empress have been brought to Subic, Zambales by MV Efes, a foreign vessel which rescued them, so they can be given appropriate medical attention.
Residents of Naujan were also advised by the PCG to keep their distance from the municipal waters due to the possible hazards posed by the oil spillage to their health and livelihood.
Mar 1 UPDATE: YONG XING 56 sank on Mar 1, salvors failed to salvage the ship, and she sank at at 253 meter depth. Understood salvors took ship out of ice zone trying to ease access to breach, but how did towage contribute to sinking? There is no heavy swell seen in these last photos photos of hapless bulk carrier. According to official report, YONG XING 56 sank at 0535 Moscow time, breach wasn’t sealed, pumping water out of flooded compartments also failed.
Feb 27 UPDATE: As it transpired, the ship is loaded with alumina, forepeak is holed and most probably, fore cargo hold also. YONG XING 56 developed heavy fore tilt, she’s stuck in ice and drifts with ice floes. Salvors are trying to seal the breach, salvage outcome still indecisive.
Feb 24 UPDATE: Reportedly bulk carrier hull was breached by ice, YONG XING 56 and other ships in the area aren’t anchored therefore, but drift in ice floes, waiting for icebreaker.
Bulk carrier YONG XING 56 issued distress signal in the evening Feb 23, at anchorage in Tatar Strait south of Vanino, ship’s port of destination. Ferry SAKHALIN-8 and rescued 21 crew, all-Chinese. They’re to be disembarked at Vanino. Bulk carrier reportedly suffered hull breach starboard, in Hold 1 area, with ensuing mass water ingress. Judging from track screen, the ship looked like she drifted onto anchored general cargo ship VIKTORIYA (IMO 9004516). Ship’s AIS seems to be working, SAR ship OTTO SCHMIDT is under way to assist troubled bulk carrier. YONG XING 56 arrived at anchorage on Feb 19, she was to load coal at Vanino.
March 1 (Reuters) - A China-flagged cargo ship sank in the Strait of Tartary off the coast of Russia's Sakhalin island, the press service of Russia's Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport told TASS on Wednesday, adding there were no casualties.
"The crew of 21 citizens of the People's Republic of China got onto the ice and was then taken on board of an approaching ship," TASS cited the press service.
"Everyone is well, there were no casualties." (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Product tanker PRINCESS EMPRESS reportedly sank early in the morning Feb 28 off northeast coast of Mindoro island, Philippines, being caught in rough weather. Tanker with 800 tons of technical oil was en route from Limay, Manila Bay, to Iloilo. All 20 crew were rescued by general cargo ship EFES (IMO 9197686), which quickly responded to distress alert. Rescued seamen are to be disembarked at Subic Bay.
Product tanker PRINCESS EMPRESS, IMO 9985136, dwt 1143, built 2022, flag Philippines, manager RDC REIELD MARINE SERVICES INC.
A small cargo ship registered in Comoros and operated by a Russian crew was caught in a fierce winter storm in the Black Sea causing it to break apart and sink. Russian officials are reporting that one crewmember died of his injuries and a second was in critical condition while nine were being taken to shore.
Residents in the area near Novorossiysk reported hearing a siren this morning, February 21 coming from the offshore anchorage. At the time there was a strong storm raging with winds reported at up to 40 knots and seas at around 10 feet. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation responded by sending a rescue boat.
Reports indicated that when they arrived on the scene, a 3,200 dwt general cargo ship the Seamark had buckled in the middle of its 355-foot length and was sinking. A lifeboat and a life raft were in the water as well as some of the 11 crewmembers from the ship.
The vessel which was built in 1981 had been in the anchorage since arriving on February 15 from Iskenderun, Turkey, having departed the day before the devastating earthquake. The Seamark was carrying a load of 3,500 tons of marble chips.
The rescue service initially reported that it had been able to retrieve three people and that a fourth was seen in the water. Later they reported that seven people were being taken to the village of Aleksino aboard one rescue vessel while three others and the body of the deceased sailor were aboard a second vessel heading to Novorossiysk. The individual reportedly succumbed to his injuries aboard the rescue vessel.
The Equasis database reports the vessel's current situation was unknown. It does not record an inspection since 2021 when there were 11 deficiencies identified including issues with the steering gear, alarms, crew training, and familiarization with the emergency systems. Local media reports from Russia are linking the vessel to a management company in Dubai.
by Mikhail Voytenko
General cargo ship MY PRINCESS reportedly sank on Feb 11 at Sharjah Anchorage, UAE, Persian Gulf. Last AIS received at around 0330 UTC Feb 11. The ship left Dubai early Feb 10, sailed in northern direction, in the afternoon same day changed direction and sailed towards Sharjah at reduced speed. No other details available at the moment.
by Mikhail Voytenko
Report emerged on collision between two container ships in Long Tau river, Ho Chi Minh, at around 0440 LT Fen 11. According to tracks and analysis involved ships are RESURGENCE and WAN HAI 288, with RESURGENCE moving upstream to Ho Chi Minh, WAN HAI 288 sailing downstream, from Ho Chi minh to Kaohsiung. RESURGENCE struck WAN HAI 288 portside with her bow, inflicting heavy damages to WAN HAI 288 portside cargo deck area, WAN HAI 288 got stuck into river bank after collision.
RESURGENCE resumed sailing and berthed at Ho Chi Minh container terminal at around 0930 LT, with a number of tugs. RESURGENCE arrived from Laem Chabang.
Judging from ships tracks, they were to pass by portside, but RESURGENCE suddenly took a sharp portside turn and struck WAN HAI 288 portside fore area.
A Turkish bulker has run aground in a storm as it headed to Ukraine to load grain.
Turkish reports said the 47,000-dwt TQ Ordu (built 2007) was sailing from Istanbul when it was forced onto a beach at Sile Sofular on Monday evening.
The Palau-flag vessel encountered waves of up to six metres and a wind speed of nearly 30 knots.
No assistance was requested from the ship, which had 23 crew members on board. No injuries were reported among them.
Video footage showed that Coast Guard teams were sent to the region for precautionary purposes.
AIS data showed the vessel as not under command on Tuesday morning.
The TQ Ordu left Eregli in Turkey on 2 February and arrived in Istanbul on 4 February.
The ship may have been awaiting clearance from the UN’s Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) for Black Sea grain shipments.
More than 10 vessels have been seeking permission to head to Ukraine.
Inspectors struggling to reach vessels for checks
The JCC has said inspectors have several times been prevented from reaching ships due to bad weather.
There have also been reports of Russian inspectors delaying checks, but Russia has denied this.
The vessel is operated by HGFH Denizcilik of Tuzla in Turkey. The company could not be contacted.
Clarksons lists the ship as in repair.
The bulker last suffered a port state control detention in 2018.
The TQ Ordu is not listed in the International Group of P&I Clubs’ insurance database.
Bulk carrier TQ ORDU ran aground at Sile, Istanbul, Black sea coast, at around 2330 LT Feb 5, reportedly while ballasting from Eregli to Ukraine, though track seems a bit strange for a ship bound for Ukraine. Crew remain on board, understood waiting for tug and weather improvement.
Bulk carrier TQ ORDU, IMO 9199206, dwt 46541, built 2000, flag Turkey (AIS), manager HGFH DENIZCILIK LTD STI, Istanbul.
The Bahamas-flagged Grace Emilia suffered a malfunction of its rudder and tugboats pulled it to the side of the canal to allow other vessels to pass
CAIRO: A tanker transporting liquefied natural gas broke down in the Suez Canal on Wednesday but traffic in the global waterway was unaffected, a canal spokesperson said.
The Bahamas-flagged Grace Emilia suffered a malfunction of its rudder and tugboats pulled it to the side of the canal to allow other vessels to pass, said George Safwat, a spokesperson for Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority.
He told The Associated Press that the north-bound tanker stopped working in the southern part of the canal, where a two-lane waterway enables ships to transit.
Canal services provider Leth Agencies reported the incident in a Twitter post, saying vessels “can pass in both directions.”
Safwat, the spokesperson, said 68 vessels transited the canal on Wednesday. He said the canal tugs were towing the Grace Emilia to Little Bitter Lake to repair the malfunction.
Built in 2021, the Grace Emilia is 297 meters (975 feet) long and 46 meters (151 feet) wide. Its cargo tank capacity is 174,000 cubic meters.
According to VesselFinder, a vessel tracking service provider, the Grace Emilia sails between the port of Dabhol in India and Cove Point in Maryland.
Last month, a cargo ship carrying corn went aground in the canal before it was refloated to allow the resumption of traffic.
In March 2021, the Panama-flagged Ever Given, a colossal container ship, crashed into a bank on a single-lane stretch of the canal, blocking the waterway for six days.
Opened in 1869, the Suez Canal provides a crucial link for oil, natural gas and cargo. About 10 percent of world trade flows through the canal, a pivotal source of foreign currency to Egypt.
n another daring high-seas boarding, Spanish authorities have seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine from an aging livestock carrier off the coast of the Canary Islands.
The waters of the mid-Atlantic near the Canary Islands are a favorite transshipment point for cocaine smugglers bringing cargoes from South America to Europe. The area is also within reach of Spanish shore-based counternarcotics teams, who search and seize smuggling vessels on the high seas with regularity.
Last week, Spain's National Police and Tax Agency Customs Surveillance Service intercepted the livestock carrier Orion V at a position about 50 nm to the southwest of the Canary Islands. The Togo-flagged vessel was nominally carrying 1,750 cattle on a voyage from Cartagena to Beirut.
A boarding team from the Tax Agency patrol ship Fulmar came alongside the Orion V and climbed the pilot ladder in heaving seas. The 28 crewmembers were arrested, and the vessel was diverted to port for an inspection. Search teams found 4.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in the vessel's cattle feed silos.
The crew remains aboard the vessel under guard so that they can continue to care for the cattle, according to El Pais. The ultimate fate of the livestock is still under discussion.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Spain's countersmuggling and counterterrorism centers, and the Togolese flag state authorities collaborated in the operation.
The 1973-built Orion V was built as a geared yard-and-stay freighter under the name of Vera Mukhina. She began a second life as a converted livestock carrier at some point after 2008, even though she was already past the typical age for demolition. She was purchased in 2022 by a buyer in Florida and reflagged to Togo.
Her recent port state control records are heavy on serious deficiencies, including issues with firefighting equipment, lifeboats, general cleanliness, deck corrosion, deck cracking and "dangerous areas." Port state inspectors in Cartagena, Colombia returned to the ship five times between her arrival in mid-November and her departure on January 7.
The seizure of the Orion V was the second major high-seas drug bust that the Fulmar completed in the span of a week. On January 18, her crew intercepted another Togo-flagged vessel, the Blume, and found 4.5 tonnes of cocaine on board. In addition, in early December the Fulmar intercepted a sailing yacht off the Canary Islands and seized 2.5 tonnes of cocaine.
第十一管区海上保安本部（那覇市）によると、沖縄県の石垣島沖で24日午前9時35分ごろ、近海貨物船「XIN HAI ZHOU 2」（パナマ籍）が座礁した。同日午後に石垣航空基地所属のヘリコプターが乗組員の中国人船員19人全員の救助を完了。船内に浸水が発生している模様だが、同日午後1時20分時点で油の流出は確認されていない。
英国の船価鑑定大手ベッセルズバリューによると、「XIN HAI ZHOU 2」は2008年に中国造船所で竣工した1万3600重量トン級近海貨物船。中国のリース会社が保有し、中国船社が運航している模様。
General cargo ship JIN TIAN sank in East China sea some 75 nm south of Jeju island, Korea, early in the morning Jan 25, while en route from Vanimo PNG to Incheon, Korea. Understood the ship was caught in rough weather brought by N-NE icy winds, raging over Asian waters during last several days. Last report from the ship was around 0225 Seoul time, stating that the crew is leaving the ship. Korean and Japanese Coast Guard joined forces in search and rescue, by 0930 Seoul time 2 out of 22 crew were rescued, the rest are missing.
General cargo ship JIN TIAN, IMO 9578713, dwt 9784, built 2010, flag HK, manager SHENZHEN SHEKOU SHPG & TRANS.
パナマ船籍の貨物船「XIN HAI ZHOU 2(シンハパナマ船籍の貨物船「ＣＲＩＭＳＯＮ ＰＯＬＡＲＩＳ（クリムゾン・ポラリス）」のように簡単に撤去できない場合があるのでパナマ船籍の貨物船「XIN HAI ZHOU 2(シンハイズー２)」（IMO:9507104）に関しては保険会社が逃げないようにしっかりと詰めておくべき。
General cargo ship XIN HAI ZHOU 2 was disabled early in the morning Jan 24, and drifted aground between Ishigaki Island and Kohama Island, Okinawa Prefecture waters. The ship reported grounding at 0930 Tokyo time Jan 24. It was decided to evacuate crew, by 1300 Tokyo time all 19 sailors were airlifted to safety by Japanese Coast Guard helicopter. The ship remains aground, she was en route from Indonesia to Yokkaichi Japan.
General cargo ship XIN HAI ZHOU 2, IMO 9507104, dwt 13567, built 2008, flag Panama, manager?
パナマ船籍の貨物船「シンハイズー２」が「XIN HAI ZHOU 2」（IMO:9507104）ならエンジントラブルでも、沈没しても不思議ではないと思うよ。
検査会社が国際船級連合のメンバーではないOVERSEAS MARINE CERTIFICATION SERVICESであればまともな検査はおこなっていない可能性は高い。まあ、船員が自分達が乗っている船がどんな船なのか理解しているのか知らないが、あの世で後悔しない限り学ばないかもね！船員達に選択できる資格や能力があれば、もっと良い海運会社で働いていると思うから何が起きても仕方がないと言えば仕方がないと思う。
On January 1, the container ship ANIL capsized and sank while handling cargo at the port of Asaroiyeh, Iran. The ship is anchored on the port side with it lying on the pier. A large number of containers have fallen into the water and are floating in the harbor. The 24 crew members are safe. The last AIS pos was received on January 12 at 1 UTC. ANIL arrived in Asaloyeh from Bandar Abbas.
Like many things in Iran, ANIL is somewhat of a mystery. The vessel, which is listed in international databases as an LPG tanker or container ship, was sold to an Iranian stakeholder in 24.
日本語訳
ペルシャ湾のイランの港でコンテナ船が転覆、沈没した。
1月24日、イランのアサロイエ港で、コンテナ船「ANIL」が荷役中に転覆・沈没しました。船は桟橋に横付けされた状態で左舷に停泊しています。多数のコンテナが水中に落下し、港内に浮遊しています。乗組員12名は無事である。最後のAIS posは1月24日0730 UTCに受信された。ANILは Bandar Abbas から Asaloyeh に到着した。
イランの多くの事と同様に、ANILは幾分謎である。この船は、LPG タンカーまたはコンテナ船として国際データベース に登録されているが、2021 年にイランの利害関係者に売却された。
2019年にもイランの港でコンテナ船がひっくり返っているが、商船のデータベースには表示されない名前であるLSスターとはどういうことなのだろう？
SL STAR (IMO:9432452)は２０１６年にパナマ籍として登録されており、船員の賃金未払い問題でILOのサイトに情報が公開されている。
これが日本のメディアが取り上げない海運の闇の部分だと思う。
On March 19, a container ship capsized at the port of Bandar Abbas, Iran, sending 153 containers into the water. Iranian officials believe that the accident happened due to improper loading.
Iranian maritime official Mehdi Haghshenas told state media that the casualty was caused by “poor coordination between the ship’s first officer and the crane operator."
Image courtesy Velji Global Logistics
Reports differ, but at least one and possibly three crewmembers were injured in the casualty.
Maritime trade with Iran is effectively banned under the recently reimposed American sanctions regime. Foreign entities that do business with Iran using the U.S. financial system - or that enter into transactions with any Iranian firm in the ports, shipping, shipbuilding or petroleum sectors - may lose access to the American market, unless operating under a waiver.
The vessel was identified by Iranian and Western media as the LS Star, a name which does not appear in merchant vessel databases. A UAE-owned vessel matching her description and IMO number appears in Equasis under the name SL Star.
This photo provided by Iranian Students' News Agency, ISNA, shows a capsized cargo ship next to a dock in southern port of Bandar Abbas, Iran, Tuesday, March 19, 2019. Iranian state TV says carless loading of cargo has capsized a ship in the southern port of Bandar Abbas, sending port workers scrambling to retrieve some of the 153 containers that were suddenly submerged. (Mohammad Mehdi Ghadimi, ISNA, via AP)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state TV says careless loading of cargo has capsized a ship in the southern port of Bandar Abbas, sending port workers scrambling to retrieve any of the 153 containers that were suddenly submerged.
The report says only one Indian seaman aboard the Comoros-owned LS Star was injured in the foot in the incident on Monday.
Mehdi Haghshenas, deputy chief of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, told the TV the ship was not being loaded properly and that there was "poor coordination between the ship's first officer and the crane operator" lifting the containers on board.
He says the ship has a 14-member crew, all from India.
There were no further details and there was no immediate estimate of damages.
In a press release, the Coast Guard said they received a mesasage at 6.30am on Monday about a medical emergency onboard a “motor tanker” south of Sagar Island due to machinery breakdown.
By: Express News Service Kolkata
The Indian Coast Guard on Monday evacuated an injured crew member from a Singapore cargo ship anchored in the Bay of Bengal.
In a press release, the Coast Guard said they received a mesasage at 6.30am on Monday about a medical emergency onboard a “motor tanker” south of Sagar Island due to machinery breakdown. The crew member, Than Htike Lwin, a Myanmar national, who sustained injuries during maintenance of a hydraulic pipeline, had difficulty in breathing, the statement read. A Coast Guard helicopter from Bhubneshwar was pressed into service for the evacuation of the patient. Also, two Coast Guard ships in the sea were also diverted towards the “motor tanker” for assistance.”
An explosion on an oil tanker in Thailand has taken the lives of eight people.
The blast occurred on Tuesday morning. The tanker was docked for repairs in the Mae Klong river in the central province of Samutsongkram.
According to the provincial governor, 10 people were on board at the time. Authorities think the explosion might have been caused by a spark from repair work igniting the ship's oil tank. The blaze had been extinguished as of Tuesday afternoon.
The boom was reportedly heard 10 kilometers away. More than 70 houses in the area felt the impact. No oil leakage has been reported so far.
SAMUT SONGKHRAM: One dock worker was confirmed killed and four others injured by an explosion and fire aboard an oil tanker moored for maintenance at a dockyard on the Mae Klong river in Muang district on Tuesday morning.
Seven people were still unaccounted for, provincial governor Somnuk Promkaew said on Tuesday afternoon.
There were unconfirmed news reports a second body had been found burned beyond recognition inside the tanker.
It was earlier reported only that eight workers were missing and that houses were damaged after an explosion and fire aboard the tanker Smooth Sea 22 shortly after 9am.
The tanker, which has a capacity of 6,500 deadweight tonnes, was undergoing regular maintenance at Ruammitr Dockyard in tambon Laem Yai. The explosion was heard and felt over a radius of several kilometres. Glass windowpanes in houses were shattered.
Governor Somnuek said the explosion occurred during welding, when about 10 workers were aboard the ship and about 30 others were on the bank of the dockyard.
One worker was confirmed killed. The dead man's right leg was found about 500 metres from the tanker. Four other people were confirmed injured, one a Thai and three from Myanmar. Seven people were still missing, six from Myanmar and one Thai.
The governor said the tanker still had 25,000 litres of fuel oil and 20,000 litres of diesel onboard while moored for maintenance. It was previously reported to have been empty.
The Marine Department said about an hour later that the fire on the vessel had been brought under control and that eight dockyard workers were missing.
The department was investigating the cause of the fire.
One person was killed and at least another ten injured in a massive explosion on a Thai tanker at a dockyard on the Mae Klong river in Thailand’s Samut Songkhram province on Tuesday morning local time.
The 2018-built oil products tanker Smooth Sea 22 suffered an explosion at Ruammit Dockyard while undergoing routine maintenance. The 6,500 dwt Bangkok-registered ship had 16 crewmembers, four of whom have been sent to the hospital.
The fire triggered by the blast was put out about an hour later, and authorities have closed the shipyard to investigate the cause of the incident. The ship had about 20,000 litres of fuel oil and diesel onboard.
The blast was heard and felt in a radius of several kilometers, according to local media. Most of the victims are welders, but further casualties are feared as several people are still unaccounted for.
The Palau-flagged bulk carrier MKK1, carrying grain under UN’s Black Sea grain initiative, is seen drifted aground in the Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey, 16 January 2023 (Reuters)
By MEE staff
Maritime traffic at Istanbul's Bosphorus waterway is once again moving after being suspended earlier on Monday following a cargo ship being stranded.
The incident with the Palau-flagged vessel called the MKK1, travelling from Turkey to Ukraine, has not resulted in damage, according to Turkish authorities. However, it had briefly blocked all traffic in the highly important waterway.
According to maritime vessel traffic websites, the 142-metre vessel is now moving across the straits towards the Sea of Marmara.
The freighter experienced a rudder failure at around 7.30am local time.
In a tweet, the Turkish coastguard authority said that it had promptly dispatched five tugboats to the scene.
The Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and is one of the world's busiest maritime passages.
By some estimates, around 48,000 ships pass through the strait each year, which can be challenging to navigate partly due to the narrow width of some parts of the waterway.
A similar incident involving a Ukrainian ship occurred in September last year after it collided with another vessel and briefly ran aground.
Speaking to Middle East Eye at the time, Yoruk Isik, a long-time naval Bosphorus observer said: "The Bosphorus is one of the most professionally managed in all steps, including pre-planning and foreseeing what can happen - it is extremely well managed."
Rare incidents
The last major accident on the Bosphorus was in 2019 when a Liberian-flagged cargo ship ran off course and collided with Istanbul's coast, forcing Turkish authorities to close the waterway.
The Bosphorus is one of the world's most important choke points for maritime oil transports, with more than three percent of global supply - mainly from Russia and the Caspian Sea - passing through the 27km waterway.
In the past Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a new canal to be built that would ease traffic on the Bosphorus shipping route.
He first mentioned the idea in 2011, dubbing it his "crazy project". But a currency crisis in 2018 prompted Turkey to freeze investments in large projects.
Kanal Istanbul has returned to the president's agenda periodically. Yet, ground has yet to be broken on the idea.
The 400-metre-wide canal planned to the west of Istanbul would connect the Black Sea in the north to the Sea of Marmara, which eventually runs into the Mediterranean.
More than 2,400 kilograms of cocaine were found on the container ship MSC Lorena, which was forced to dock in Vlissingen in late December after a bomb threat that later turned out to be false alarm. "The drugs were found in a container with a deckload of cocoa," the Antwerp prosecutor's office said.
The bomb threat was received by Belgian police on Dec. 22, when the container ship was off the coast of Vlissingen. The ship was then forced to anchor for a week. After nothing was found through investigations, the ship was able to dock in the port of Antwerp on Dec. 29 to unload its cargo.
Later, the police arrested two suspects involved in the false bomb threat. The two suspects were a 24-year-old man from Delft and a 22-year-old from Hagenaar. The two men are suspected of threatening to commit a terrorist crime.
According to NOS, the police wants the damage caused by the false bomb threat to be recovered from the two suspects. "The ship had to be anchored for a week, so the cargo could not be unloaded. In addition, one must realize that, for example, just lending a telephone to express a threat can have enormous consequences," Gert Wibbelink, head of the Infrastructure Department of the National Unit, told the public broadcast.
無国籍船＆幽霊船情報
カンボジア籍船の海難
パナマ船籍の「マリナ アイリス」が沈没！
トーゴ籍船
モンゴル籍船
シエラレオネ籍船
コモロ連合船籍
グルジア籍船
キリバス籍船
パラオ籍船
フィジ籍船
タンザニア籍船
ベリーズ籍船
モルジブ籍船
フィリピンでの船舶による油流出事故
韓国客船 Sewol沈没
