Mercraft 3 “collided with hard object on its starboard”: DOTr-MARINA report

December 22, 2017

M/V Mercraft 3,  a ship with 251 passengers and crew which sank off Quezon on Thursday, hit a hard object on its starboard side" causing it to take in water and sink.

An initial report from the Department of Transport and MARINA ( Maritime Transportation Authority) on Friday quoted the ship's master, Eruel Merana, what happened before M/V Mercraft 3 sank. between Dinahican, Quezon and Polilio Island at 1030 am.

“Per narration of the [ship] master [Eruel Meraña]... the vessel collided with a hard object on its starboard side... allegedly a steel buoy. Hence, ingress of water caused the vessel to list and flooding started, and, simultaneously, they were battered with big waves estimated to be 3-5 meters high,” says DOTr Assistant Secretary for Maritime Fernando Juan Perez.

Of the 251 passengers, five died according to the National Risk Reduction Management Council. The council said they were ending search and rescue operations as the passengers were accounted for. DMS