14 Filipinos missing after fishing boat collides with HK ship: PCG

June 29, 2020

Fourteen Filipinos onboard a fishing vessel were missing after their vessel collided with a Hong Kong cargo vessel off the waters of Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Monday.

Commodore Armando Balilo, PCG spokesman, said the PCG on Sunday received a distress call from the captain of the Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier vessel, MV Vienna Wood, about a collision with local fishing vessel  Liberty 5.

The collision happened at the vicinity of waters 14.57 nautical miles west-southwest off Tayamaan, Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro around 1 am.

Balilo said the cargo vessel which departed Subic was en route to Australia while the fishing boat, whose home port is in Cagayan De TawiTawi, was on its way to Navotas fishport when the incident took place.

"After verifying the incident and acquiring further information from MV Vienna Wood, the PCG immediately activated (search and rescue) SAR operations to rescue 12 missing fishermen, including its captain, as well as two passengers of the distressed fishing vessel," he said.

Balilo said the cargo vessel is being escorted by PCG vessel to Batangas port.

"BRP Boracay is now in the area of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro to conduct SAR operations," he said.

Balilo said an additional rescue team from Batangas was on the way to the area.

"PCG also deployed two aerial assets – BN Islander with tail number PCG-684 and Airbus H145 light twin engine helicopter with tail number CGH-1452 – to augment the SAR operations this morning," he said.

"PCG will deploy another multi-role response vessel (MRRV) to further intensify SAR operations," he added. Robina Asido/DMS