681 safe after ferry’s trouble

CEBU CITY - A total of 531 passengers of M/V Trans Asia 5 were rescued after its engine malfunctioned Sunday night off the City of Naga, just two hours after it left the port of Cebu City.

About 10 hours later, 150 passengers of M/V Trans Asia 3 arrived safely at Pier 5 on Monday, after the vessel ran out of fuel near Shell Island between Cordova and Cebu City, on its way to the port. The vessel left Ozamiz City 8 p.m. last Sunday.

Cebu Coast Guard Commander Rolando Punzalan Jr. told Sun.Star Cebu that the Cagayan de Oro-bound M/V Trans Asia 5 left Pier 5 in Cebu City at 8 p.m. last Sunday. Two hours later, its engine malfunctioned.

M/V Trans Asia 5, which was carrying 531 passengers, was finally towed by two tugboats back to Pier 5 at 10 a.m. Monday.

As for M/V Trans Asia 3, Punzalan said the vessel left Ozamiz City at 8 p.m. last Sunday but upon reaching Shell Island while approaching Cebu City early Monday morning, it ran out of fuel, forcing the ship captain to drop anchor.

Punzalan said that after refueling using the diesel reserved for its generators, M/V Trans Asia 3 was able to dock at Pier 5 at 8:15 a.m. Monday.

Immediately after learning about the two incidents, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) suspended the operations of the entire fleet of Trans Asia Shipping Lines.

Kenneth Sy, Trans Asia president and general manager, said that in the case of Trans Asia 5, a portion of the exhaust fell and hit the turbo engine, causing it to conk out.

As for Trans Asia 3, Sy explained that they use diesel and bunker fuel alternately to save because fuel alone costs them a lot.

The vessel used diesel when it left Ozamiz City, and switched to bunker fuel 30 minutes later. Thirty minutes before reaching the destination, the vessel usually switches back to diesel.

Sy reported that the crew of Trans Asia 3 failed to turn the valve that switches to bunker fuel during the trip so that when they switched to use diesel 30 minutes before reaching Cebu City, the engine stopped because of the lack of diesel.

“It was negligence on the part of the crew,” Sy said.

In a press statement, Trans Asia’s Human Resource Manager Abner Llenos confirmed that at 9:05 p.m. last Sunday, M/V Trans Asia 5 encountered engine trouble in the waters off Naga City.

The management said that in order to ensure the safety of the passengers and cargoes on board, the vessel had to go back to Cebu for immediate repairs.

The management added that while the incident is an isolated case, they are addressing it and have started repair works to avoid a similar occurrence, and so it can resume serving the riding public.

“The officers and crew, as well as the management, have attended to the needs of our valued passengers,” the management said.

Marina Acting Administrator Nicasio Conti issued the suspension order upon the recommendation of Marina 7 Director Nanette Villamor Dinopol, so all vessels of Trans Asia can undergo re-inspection and re-audit to determine their seaworthiness.

Dinopol said the passengers were lucky that the weather was fine when the incidents happened.

When they learned about what happened to the two vessels, Conti ordered Dinopol and Marina 7 to coordinate with the Philippine Coast Guard to ensure the safety of the passengers on board.

“I have already ordered the additional inspection and audit of the remaining vessels of Trans Asia to ensure their seaworthiness,” Conti told Sun.Star Cebu.

It was the second time Marina suspended the operations of the entire fleet of Trans Asia Shipping Lines.

Its operations were first suspended last August 2, 2011, a few days after its M/V Asia Malaysia sank in the seawaters off Calabasa Island in Ajuy, Iloilo last July 31, 2011.

The suspension was lifted on August 6, 2011 after Marina determined that the remaining vessels were seaworthy. (EOB/Sun.Star Cebu)