3 missing as barge carrying beer sinks

A cargo vessel carrying tons of beer capsized off Bulusan town in Sorsogon late Thursday, leaving three of its crew missing, the Coast Guard said.

Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, Coast Guard deputy commandant for operations, said the MV Don Wilfredo sank some 100 meters away from the coast of Barangay Boang in Bulusan.

In a report, the Coast Guard-Bicol District said the barge owned by Candano Shipping Lines was on its way to Legazpi City from Cebu to deliver 76,744 cases of beer.

Tamayo said 16 of the vessel’s 19 crewmen were rescued, while three were still missing until yesterday afternoon. The three were identified as shipmaster Nathaniel Latorena, Rommel Espinosa and Jerby Palad.

“Our Coast Guard station in Sorsogon has deployed teams for the search and rescue operation. This is our priority at the moment. Investigation on the incident would follow soon after all the three missing crewmen are found,” Tamayo said.

Tamayo said the captain of the sunken barge was required to submit to the Coast Guard a report within 24 hours after the sinking and explain what caused the incident.