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Cebu News

Ship catches fire

Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon - The Freeman

A one-week-old child was among the 132 passengers and crew members that were rescued from the burning roro vessel, MV Esperanza Star of Kho Shipping Lines, while on its way from Lazi, Siquijor to Tagbilaran City in Bohol early Sunday morning.

Bohol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) head Anthony Damalerio said they received the distress call at 3:55 a.m., just about 30 minutes away from the time the vessel was supposed to arrive at Tagbilaran Port.

Damalerio, in an interview over DYLA, said that the one-week-old child was with her parents and one-year-old sibling when the vessel caught fire. The family was reportedly going home to Liloan, Cebu from Siquijor.

Damalerio said that to save the one-week-old child, the parents, whom he talked to after they were rescued, were assisted by the crew members in putting the child inside a luggage (maleta) and throwing it out to the sea, while some crew members waited to get the child.

The family was reunited at the Trans Asia vessel, which was among those who responded and rescued several other passengers.

Some fishermen nearby the scene also helped rescue the passengers, who were taken to the Tagbilaran Port terminal building and were assisted by the personnel of the PDRRMO and the shipping lines management.

In a statement released by the shipping company in their Facebook post, the vessel was serving the route Cebu City-Tagbilaran City-Lazi, Siquijor-Iligan City when a fire incident occurred en route to Tagbilaran City from Lazi early Sunday morning.

Kho Shipping Lines (KSL) Incorporated extended its gratitude to the personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Bohol, personnel of vessel Trans Asia 19 and fisherfolks of Tagbilaran City and Panglao area in the province of Bohol for instantly responding to the distress call when MV Esperanza Star caught fire.

“All crew (members) and passengers were immediately rescued to safety, being taken care of and all accounted for,” the shipping company said.

The vessel was carrying 72 passengers and 60 crew members, including the ship captain.

It added that a functional fire suppression system long installed at the vessel such as CO2, fire hydrants, sprinkling system and others were immediately activated to put off the fire and avert further damage to the vessel.

The shipping company said they will replace the vessel this week with MV Cataingan, so as not to hamper the flow and to continue serving passengers and cargoes plying the said route as the company's commitment to the local folks of Iligan City and Lazi, Siquijor, who had been clamoring for such service.

They have not mentioned, however, the cause of the fire.

CG LT John Wenceslao of the Coast Guard Station Western Bohol said they are grateful that nobody got injured or perished in the fire, as they immediately sent their water assets to rescue the passengers and crew.

Wenceslao added that investigation is ongoing as they await the filing of a marine protest by the ship captain.

Marine Protest, as defined under the Philippine Coast Guard Memorandum Circular 06-90, is a declaration on oath by the master of the circumstances attending the damage or loss of his vessel, intended to show that the loss accrued by the perils of the sea, and conducting with the protestation against any liability of the owner to the freighters. Its use and design is to authenticate the facts and circumstances of a loss to the insurer and all concerned.

The PCG added that it had conducted firefighting and rescue operations in response to a maritime incident involving the said vessel.

PCG-District Central Visayas has declared the incident as “fire out" at 10 a.m. and found no threat of an oil spill.

As of 12 noon yesterday, the BRP Cape San Agustin (MRRV-4408) and BRP Malamawi (FPB-2403) were at the seawater of Panglao, Bohol, to watch over the MV Esperanza Star. –/GAN

BFP

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