Coast Guard: 2 missing in collision off Sarangani

At least two people were reported missing after two vessels collided off Sarangani province in Mindanao Tuesday night, the Coast Guard said Wednesday. In a report posted on its website Wednesday evening, the Coast Guard said the incident occurred 7:42 p.m. Tuesday off Sarangani Strait. "[Out] of 23 crew of the ill-fated vessel MV Bulk Carrier I, 21 were already rescued while the Search and Rescue (SAR) for the two missing crew identified as Juanito Minoy and Edward Paller is still ongoing," it said. A Coast Guard Special Operations Group (SOG) is conducting search-and-rescue operations for the two missing crewmen. The MV Bulk Carrier I had sunk after colliding with the Monrovian-registered container vessel MV HS Puccini, the Coast Guard said. Investigation showed the MV HS Puccini's crew rescued 16 of the sunken ship's crew members had planned to drop off the survivors at General Santos City Port. On the other hand, the five other crew members managed to swim to the shoreline of Tinoto, Sarangani and were reportedly in safe condition. An initial investigation showed the MV HS Puccini skippered by Captain Marko Kralj was bound from Hong Kong to General Santos City while MV Bulk Carrier I skippered by Captain Pedrito Serencio was bound from General Santos City to Dumaguete City (Negros Oriental). The MV Bulk Carrier I was carrying 16,000 bags of rice at the time of the incident. Oil slick Meanwhile, the Coast Guard observed an oil slick at the collision site. It deployed a Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) team with an oil spill boom, oil dispersant and other oil spill mitigation equipment to the site. Coast Guard commandant Admiral Ramon Liwag also deployed the BRP Romblon (SARV-3503), aided by a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel to help in search and oil spill operations. — KBK, GMA News