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14 seamen missing in Palawan vessel sinking


Coast Guard and Navy personnel are now scouring the waters near the pristine Tubbataha Reef off Palawan province for 14 seamen of a cargo vessel that sank last weekend amid rough waves and heavy rains. Radio dzRH reported Tuesday that the Coast Guard learned of the sinking of the M/V Mia only after fishermen rescued four of the ill-fated vessel's crew. A radio dzBB report said the Coast Guard personnel also had instructions to check for a possible oil spill in Tubbataha Reef, considered a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) because of the reef's marine biodiversity. Initial reports showed that M/V Mia left San Fernando in Cebu last September 26 to bring 800 metric tons of cement to Brooke's Point in Palawan. It was scheduled to arrive two days later. On September 28, the captain advised the ship's owner JPS Shipping Lines that their arrival may be delayed due to strong winds and waves caused by tropical storm "Hanna." The captain, who was not immediately named, reportedly advised that their arrival would be at 1 p.m. of Saturday, September 29. However, the Coast Guard said the ship's owner received word Monday that fishing vessel M/V Allister rescued four of the Mia's crew. One of the four was reportedly in critical condition. Turbulent weather As this developed, huge waves damaged houses in at least four coastal areas in Southern Luzon, even as state weather forecasters blamed a storm surge caused by cyclones "Hanna" and "Ineng" for the phenomenon. Radio dzRH reported that the waves forced the evacuation of families in Rosario town in Cavite; San Luis in Batangas; and Mamburao and Santa Cruz towns in Occidental Mindoro. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned against a repeat of such storm surges while "Ineng" remains stationary. Frisco Nilo, Pagasa deputy director for operations, said storm surges occur from time to time, and the last storm surge occurred "one to two years ago." "Hanna and Ineng helped create the storm surge. This raised the level of the water and caused huge waves," Nilo said in Filipino on dzXL radio. Nilo also advised families who were evacuated not to return to their homes yet. "There may be more storm surges because 'Ineng' is still stationary. We advise families who were evacuated not to return to their homes yet. It will be difficult if another storm surge were to take place at night," he said. Seeking shelter Radio dzXL reported that almost 200 families were evacuated in Rosario town in Cavite, but dzBB radio reported some of the families returned to their homes as waters subsided Tuesday. A separate report on dzRH radio said several families were also evacuated from Barangays (villages) 1 and 2 in Mamburao town in Occidental Mindoro. Mamburao is a third-class town with a population of 30,378 people in 6,259 households. In Santa Cruz town in Occidental Mindoro, families were brought to the municipal hall. Santa Cruz is a third-class town with a population of 26,887 people in 5,407 households. In a related development, radio dzBB reported that the Coast Guard ordered a survey of the waters off Batangas and Mindoro Occidental to see if the waves stranded fishermen in the area. Vice Admiral Danilo Abinoja, Coast Guard officer-in-charge, sent vessels to San Luis town in Batangas and to Santa Cruz in Occidental Mindoro. - GMANews.TV

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