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Monday, March 01, 2004
Marine studes return safely
* One of the student-survivors, says they were already in their beds when they heard an explosion
* The number of passengers missing rose to 165, with still only one death confirmed, a coast guard official says
IT WAS a tearful yet joyful reunion for the 43 Marine Engineering students of John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation in Molo and their families after their safe return to Iloilo City Saturday night.
The students and their instructors were among the survivors of the ill-fated WG & A Superferry 14 that caught fire at dawn Friday near Corregidor at the mouth of Manila Bay.
They arrived around 6 p.m. at Port San Pedro on board Superferry 19.
Many parents who waited as early as 5 p.m. sobbed as they hugged their children.
Relatives and schoolmates also came to welcome back the student-survivors. They will be back in school Monday.
The students were aboard the vessel for their on-the-job training (OJT), a requirement in one of their courses.
Asked by reporters how they feel after their ordeal and safe return home, all of them answered, "We're okay."
Superferry 14 left Manila's North Harbor at 11 p.m. with 899 passengers and crew onboard. The vessel was headed for Bacolod City and was supposed to proceed to Cagayan de Oro City when it caught fire at 12:50 a.m. Friday.
Superferry 9, MV Fortune Express, MV Princess Ivy, Philippine Navy vessels and Coast Guard patrol boats rescued the survivors from the sea.
A report of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) showed that the fire started in the boiler room of the inter-island ship.
'We didn't panic'
Alfie Castilla, one of the student-survivors, told reporters they were already in their beds when they heard an explosion.
It was just near us but we didn't panic. Our instructor came to us and told us to prepare, said Castilla, who is from Badiangan, Iloilo.
They scattered, he said, after they reached the boat's upper deck but eventually they came together. He was rescued by MV Fortune Express.
Cesar Amugan, one of the instructors, said that as a marine engineer, he was able to handle the situation smoothly.
"We survived it. All of our students survived, no problem," he said.
One of his fellow instructors said that unlike the other passengers, they did not immediately jump off the vessel.
We did not act without thinking; we did not panic, he said.
Search and rescue
Meanwhile, search and rescue operations for the missing people aboard Superferry 14 continued Sunday.
Navy and Coast Guard personnel have been scouring Manila Bay and the coastlines of Bataan and Cavite for any survivors of the incident.
A search for bodies inside the Superferry 14 off Mariveles, Bataan, has been put on hold because of intense heat and smoke inside the ship.
The number of people missing has risen to 165, with still only one death confirmed, a coast guard official said Sunday.
The adjustment was made after it was verified that the Superferry 14 had been carrying more people than it was initially thought.
Fiesta ship
The WG&A Superferry 14 is considered as the third youngest vessel of the company. It is also dubbed as WG&A's third most modern vessel. WG&A opened its route three years ago in Bacolod.
The ship's newest and modern features include an escalator, disco bar, corporate booth and shops for various souvenir items.
Dining rooms here were named after the famous Visayan fiestas such as Ati-Atihan of Kalibo, Aklan, Dinagyang of Iloilo City and Sinulog of Cebu City.
It has also a beauty parlor named after Bacolod City's famous MassKara Festival. NLG/KVC with reports from Sun.Star Bacolod/Sunnex Luzon
(March 1, 2004 issue)
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