6 Pinoys rescued from burning ship in Malaysia

MANILA, Philippines - Six Filipinos were rescued from a Taiwanese-flagged fishing vessel that caught fire 15 nautical miles from Port Dickson in Malaysia, according to an embassy report.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine embassy in Malaysia said a passing cruise ship rescued the eight crewmembers last July 15.

The crew aboard the FV Jiang Sheng consisted of a Taiwanese captain, a Taiwanese chief engineer, and six Filipino crewmen – Alex Lastimoza, Dave Labrador, Joelan Ronas, Armando Espiritu, Jeffrey del Campo, and Hajie Tolentino.

The 700-ton vessel was on its way back to Singapore after a fishing trip in Mauritius when it encountered engine problems while passing through the Strait of Malacca at the crack of dawn.

A fire broke out in the engine room at around 7 a.m., forcing Captain Choio Ching Yuan to send a distress call and order the crew to abandon ship.

They boarded three life rafts and waited for rescue. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency dispatched two rescue boats to the scene.

Meanwhile, the fishing vessel’s crew were rescued two hours later by the luxury cruise liner Star Virgo, which was on its way to Port Klang from Singapore.

They were brought to the Star Cruises Terminal in Port Klang for medical attention. Except for a few bruises, the crew did not sustain any serious injury.