(Photo courtesy of PCG)
All passengers and crew of a roll-on/roll-off passenger vessel that ran aground off Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, were safely evacuated, the Philippine Coast Guard said Thursday.
PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said MV RoRo Master 5 was traveling from Batangas to Abra de Ilog when it ran aground about 30 meters from the shoreline of Barangay Udalo at around 12:45 a.m.
Coast Guard personnel boarded the vessel and used four life rafts and a lifeline secured to the shore to evacuate those onboard.
By 6 a.m., all passengers had been transferred to the Port of Abra de Ilog with assistance from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Orange Navigation Inc.
Initial assessment showed that the vessel grounded on a rocky seabed. No oil spill or water ingress was reported.
The PCG said a preliminary investigation pointed to a gyrocompass failure that caused the vessel to deviate from its intended course.
Authorities are still verifying the total number of passengers, crew members and rolling cargo onboard.
Orange Navigation Inc. requested a tugboat to assist in refloating the vessel, while additional Coast Guard assets were deployed to support operations.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development sent social workers and a Quick Response Team to assess the needs of affected passengers.
The local government also provided hot meals and medical checkups, while some passengers were transported back to Abra de Ilog and Mamburao.
The DSWD said it will continue coordinating with local authorities to provide assistance to affected passengers.
