Chinese enter Philippines, search for ship’s missing crew

MANILA, Philippines - Two Chinese vessels backed by two airplanes entered Philippine waters over the weekend to join search and rescue operations for 11 crewmen of a Chinese cargo ship that sank off Vigan last week.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported yesterday that  two Chinese Coast Guard tugboats and two aircraft from Hong Kong entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) to support the search for the missing crewmembers of the M/V Fortune Life, a Panamanian-registered cargo vessel that sank Thursday.

As of yesterday, 11 crewmembers remained missing while eight had been rescued.

The PCG said the crew of the Fortune Life included 18 Chinese and one Vietnamese.

PCG reported that last Saturday, aircraft Rescue 64 and Chinese tugboats Nan Hai Jiu 111 and Nan Hai Jiu 115 arrived from Hong Kong and entered the search area located 45 nautical miles northwest off Stewart Bank in La Union.

The M/V Fortune Life earlier activated its Electronic Positioning Emergency Radio Beacon that sent out a distress signal late Thursday.

The PCG said another Chinese aircraft Rescue 44 from Hong Kong entered PAR at around 8:30 a.m. yesterday to support the search and rescue operation.

The Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) picked up the signal and immediately relayed the information to local PCG officials.

Officials said the Chinese vessels coordinated the rescue operations with the PCG.

The Fortune Life was reportedly loaded with 7,500 metric tons of mineral ore feldspar and had left Kaohsiung, Taiwan for Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia.  

Five passing vessels identified as M/V Great Tang, M/T Ashley Lady, M/V Yue Dian, M/V Nord Delphinus and M/Tug Tal Tal also joined in the search and rescue operations for the ill-fated ship.

The PCG ships BRP Pampanga and monitoring control and surveillance (MCS) 3007 were earlier sent to the area.

Rescuers encountered strong wind and rough seas off Ilocos Sur during the operations last Saturday, according to the PCG.

Six of the survivors were rescued by the Great Tang, Yue Dian and Ashley Lady.

The PCG Search and Rescue vessels OO3 and NCS 3007 are still in the search area. With Raymund Catindig