Ships collide: 2 dead, 21 rescued

By SERAFIN RAMOS JR.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (August 10, 2011) – Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel have intercepted an oil slick coming from a sunken vessel which collided with a foreign vessel Tuesday night, a PCG officer said today, as 21 rescued crew members arrived in General Santos City for emergency treatment.

Two crew members of the ill-fated MV Bulk Carrier 1, which collided with MV HS Puccini amid heavy downpour and “zero visibility”, are still unaccounted for and were presumed dead.

“Our (PCG) personnel are there. They intercepted the oil slick off Eslomi village in Maasim,” said Commander Roy Echeverria, PCG-Southeastern Mindanao acting deputy commander. “Initially they sprayed dispersant to minimize the volume na makarating sa shoreline.”

The scene of the mishap is approximately 3.5 to 4 nautical miles South West off Matil Pt. in barangay Lumatil, Maasim, Sarangani indicating strong sea current conditions, according to Sarangani Governor Migs Dominguez.

The PCG earlier reported to the governor the collision occurred on or about 7:45 pm. Tuesday involving foreign container vessel MV HS Puccini (Monrovia) skippered by Capt. Marko Kralj and the 48-meter MV Bulk Carrier 1.

MV HS Puccini, coming from Hong Kong, collided with the domestic cargo vessel which was sailing from General Santos City enroute to Dumaguete City.

MV Bulk Carrier 1, loaded with 16,000 bags of rice, sank in just 30 minutes after the collision, the PCG said.

Sixteen crew members of the sunken vessel, six of them injured, were rescued by MV HS Puccini and three other vessels while five survivors were able to swim ashore to Tinoto, Sarangani.

Two earlier reported missing according to MV Bulk Carrier 1 master, Capt. Pedrito Serencio, were presumed to have died after they were sucked by water coming from the engine room. The fatalities were identified as chief engineer Juanito Minoy and apprentice engineer Edward Paler. They were on duty in the engine room at the time of the incident.

Responding PCG personnel earlier observed a fuel spill, estimated to be around two hectares, at the vicinity of the collision site.

However, Echeverria told Sarangani Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon that the oil slick has only been estimated to be around 600 square meters as of noon.

PCG personnel were in the area with spill booms and oil spill containment and recovery materials to observe, monitor and combat the spillage, Echeverria said.

The MV Bulk Carrier 1 master told reporters as he and his rescued crew members arrived at Makar Wharf at noon today that “the bigger vessel hit the side of our vessel, our engine room.”

“We heard no siren. There was zero visibility. I did not see any light,” said Serencio. “Some of my men panicked. Others were thrown overboard by the impact.”

Serencio, who was on duty at the bridge, said there was heavy downpour.

“The marine vessel was trying to veer away from something but it hit us instead. I heard the siren two seconds before impact,” he said. “Our vessel almost flipped over. It was good the marine vessel made a hard starboard.”

He said his chief engineer and apprentice engineer had no chance of surviving because they were trapped in the engine room.

MV HS Puccini, a Superferry, Solid Lines, and Ernesto 1 vessels searched for over two hours but they did not find the missing crew, Serencio said.

“We need divers to recover their bodies,” Serencio said.

The 21 rescued crew members arrived at Makar Wharf aboard a Coast Guard vessel at 1pm. today. The injured were rushed by ambulance to a General Santos City hospital.

“We later found out early this morning that five were able to swim ashore,” Serencio added.

Vice Governor Solon said “we have to find out what the liabilities are so we leave that to the Coast Guard to investigate.”

Solon said the PCG, Philippine Navy and Barangay Defense Forces were “all moving together” to monitor and contain the oil slick.

Echeverria said that “while being investigated, we’ll be requesting for MV HS Pucchini to be detained here in Gensan.”

“We don’t see anymore any reason to continue the search and rescue operation,” Echeverria said. “Retrieval medyo mahirap na, knowing the depth of the area (400 to 550 fathoms). Yong dalawang tao hindi na makukuha, malalim kasi.” (Serafin Ramos Jr./SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)