Filtered By: Topstories
News

Iloilo-bound ship stalls off Negros Occ; 107 passengers safe


(Updated 10:30 a.m.) A cargo-passenger vessel bound for Iloilo from Cebu stalled and listed off Victorias City in Negros Occidental in Western Visayas before dawn Sunday, but the Philippine Coast Guard said the 107 passengers had been safely transferred to another vessel. Coast Guard commandant Admiral Ramon Liwag said the MV Asia Malaysia had 107 passengers and 25 crew members, even as he said there were no initial signs of violations of maritime rules by the ship. “Maayos at supervised ang transfer, the 107 passengers and crew are all safe," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. He also said there was no initial sign of overloading of the ship, which he said has a capacity of some 500 passengers. Citing initial reports reaching him, he said the MV Asia Malaysia was heading for Iloilo from Cebu when it developed engine trouble. Liwag said it was lucky for the passengers that there was another ship in the area. He said the ship had listed 35 degrees starboard or to its right. Earlier, Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Algier Ricafrente said the incident occurred before dawn between Negros Occidental and Iloilo, northwest of Victorias City. In another interview on dzBB, Coast Guard Iloilo assistant station commander CPO Venerando Celiz said they learned of the incident past 4 a.m. “Galing ang barko sa Cebu papunta sa Iloilo, padating sana 7 a.m. (It was heading for Iloilo from Cebu and was scheduled to arrive at 7 a.m.)," he said. — LBG, GMA News
LOADING CONTENT