Marina suspends Dumaguete-bound passenger vessel

THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) suspended the operation of a passenger vessel in Dumaguete City after it failed to deliver its passengers bound for Cebu City Tuesday dawn.

Engr. Geff Kenneth Gasite, Marina-Dumaguete field officer-in-charge, said the indefinite suspension is effective Wednesday right after the order was signed.

M/V Georich, owned by George and Peter Lines, serves passengers from Cebu City to Dumaguete City and Dapitan City.

The 347 passengers and 47 crews were stranded off coast of Cebu and
Negros Island after the one of the engines of the vessel went off. Ship captain Crisologo Carollo said he immediately called for rescue.

The stranded M/V Georich was rescued and tagged back to Dumaguete port by its sister vessel M/V Zamboanga Ferry. All passengers and crews arrived safely at the Dumaguete pier.

M/V Georich left Dumaguete port around 11 p.m. Tuesday but upon reaching the seas of Alcoy, Cebu, one of the ship’s engines went off, Gasite said.

Gasite, however, clarified that M/V Georich has a safety certificate issued by Marina.