Ship travelled from Cebu to Dapitan: 3 die as boat catches fire

CEBU, Philippines — Three were killed, including a one-year-old baby, when a vessel of Lite Shipping Corporation caught fire while travelling to Dapitan City from Samboan, Cebu late Tuesday night.

The incident occurred at around 11 p.m. barely three nautical miles away from the Pulauan Port in Dapitan, said Lt. Junior Grade Michael Encina, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard - 7.

The one-year-old was not identified yesterday but the two casualties who were of legal age were identified as Danilo Gomez, 60, and Ronaldo Heneral, 65.

Lt. Junior Grade Cherry Manaay, commander of the Coast Guard’s Dapitan City Station, said Gomez and the child died due to the suffocation while Heneral drowned.

Based on figures the Coast Guard released last night, Lite Shipping declared an initial 231 passengers and 38 crew members. The shipping firm then submitted a supplemental manifest that indicated 65 more passengers. In total, Lite Ferry 16 carried 239 people when it left the port in Samboan.

After the incident, Coast Guard records in Zamboanga showed that with the exception of the three who perished, 245 passengers were rescued.

The numbers did not match as it would appear there were nine passengers that were not declared.

In a statement it released earlier in the day yesterday, Lite Shipping said 180 passengers and 38 crew members were on board Lite Ferry 16.

Lite Ferry 16 was also carrying seven 10-wheeler trucks, 13 six-wheeler trucks, nine four- wheeler trucks, and five motorbikes.

Encina said there was no hazardous or flammable cargo on board. The vessel left Samboan port at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday with all required safety certificates.

“The said vessel complied with the necessary safety certificates, so kompleto sila lahat doon,” he said.

Lite Shipping chief operating officer Fernando Inting said the company has sent a team to take care of the needs of the survivors.

"We are still facilitating our passenger and our crew, some are already brought to the hospital for check-up and the rest already checked in in the hotel and some now, lately, willing to go home and they are asking what can we assist them financially especially all their personal belongings nasama sa barko,” Inting said yesterday.

He said they have instructed their Dipolog branch to give P10,000 to every passenger who wanted to go home and provide assistance to the families of the casualties.

Probe

Encina said a Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) of the Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority-7 will investigate the incident.

“The BMI will decide if who will be held liable. The PCG will create a board we call it a BMI, The board of Marine Inquiry, a group of PCG, at the same time the Marina, will investigate about the matters about the incident.” He stated.

Response

Meanwhile, Encina belied allegations that the Coast Guard was not quick enough in responding to the incident.

"Immediately upon the receipt of distress ng Coast Guard Dapitan around 11 p.m. kagabi, (Tuesday) nag-respond na agad sila. It so happened lang siguro yung vessel kasi ng PCG doon nasa CDO pa so it takes time kaya ang ginawa ng Coast Guard Dapitan natin doon, ti-nap nila ang other shipping doon to respond immediately dun sa Maritime incident (They responded right away when they received the distress signal but because the Coast Guard’s vessel was in Cagayan de Oro at that time, they tapped the help of other ships in the area),” Encina said.

He said the Coast Guard does not disregard any distress signal.

"Yung isa sa mga mandate palagi natin… kahit po false alarm yan, mga distress… we are always verifying it and rendering necessary assistance to any Maritime distress or any reported Maritime distress… kahit report lang po yan, hindi po pwede natin ipagwalang bahala,” he said.

Lite Shipping said it acquired MV Lite Ferry 16 in March 2015. It is classed by the Marina Accredited Classification Society and underwent major retrofitting of its main engines and generators using brand new machineries.

Its regular routes Samboan, Cebu to Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte. —  JMO (FREEMAN)