A passenger vessel ran aground off Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, early Thursday, September 17, with all passengers and crew members safely rescued, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.
In a RH Tina Nolasco's report on DZRH, the MV RoRo Master 5, which was traveling from the Port of Batangas to the Port of Abra de Ilog, ran aground about 30 meters from the shoreline near Sitio Sigman, Barangay Udalo, at around 12:45 a.m., according to the PCG.
Based on the shipping company’s initial declaration, the vessel was carrying 80 passengers and 24 rolling cargo units from Batangas Port, Abra de Ilog Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) head Geoffrey Panganiban said.
All passengers were safely rescued by the coast guard from the vessel, PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said.
As of this writing, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is still confirming the total number of people aboard the vessel.
Cayabyab said the PCG initial investigation showed that the 779-gross-ton roll-on/roll-off vessel experienced a gyrocompass failure, causing it to veer off its intended route and run aground.
Meanwhile, Abra de Ilog Emergency Response Operations (AERO) said the passengers traveling to Sablayan and San Jose were temporarily staying at the Abra de Ilog Passengers Terminal.
Passengers bound for Abra de Ilog and Mamburao had already been transported with assistance from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Abra de Ilog MDRRMO.
Authorities also arranged transportation from Sitio Sigman to the Abra de Ilog Pier for affected passengers.
The PCG continued to verify the exact number of passengers, crew members, and rolling cargo aboard the vessel.
Orange Navigation Inc. also deployed a tugboat from Cedar Company to assist in refloating the MV RoRo Master 5, while the Coast Guard Station Batangas sent additional floating assets to support the ongoing response operation.
Authorities advised the public to stay away from the incident area and avoid going to Sitio Sigman or the vicinity of the vessel to prevent interference with the investigation and rescue operations.
