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Monday, June 23, 2008
Container ship capsized off Antique waters
ILOILO CITY -- A container ship sank in the vicinity of Maralison islet off mainland Culasi as typhoon Frank battered the Binirayan province of Antique with heavy rains and strong winds on Saturday.
Peter Rosete, manager of the Manila-based shipping firm in Iloilo City, said the Oceanic Container Line skippered by Captain Carlos Kho has last contacted his office in Iloilo City 12 noon on Saturday. Since then, they lost communication with the ship.
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Rosete said the vessel sailed from Manila on its way to Iloilo City when battered by big waves, drifting the vessel toward the vicinity of Maralison islet at the height of the typhoon. This prompted the ship captain and his supplement of 20 crew to abandon the ship.
The shipping manager, however, said he has no knowledge on what caused the vessel to capsize.
The province of Antique, particularly in the northern part of the province, was placed under storm signal number 3 along with neighboring Capiz and Aklan provinces including northern Iloilo province.
Meanwhile, some 13 fishermen were reported missing when big waves whipped their bancas, which capsized while fishing off Miag-ao shore.
Luckily, one of the fishermen managed to survive while the fate of his 13 fellow fishermen were not known.
On Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in this city ordered the grounding of all inter-island fast ferries plying Iloilo-Bacolod and vice versa, including motorized passenger pump boats servicing mainland Iloilo City and the island-province of Guimaras. Likewise, the Coast Guard authorities did not allow passenger ships to leave Iloilo ports at the height of the typhoon to avoid sea tragedy.
On the other hand, plane flights had also been canceled due to strong winds and poor visibility prevailing.
The PCG's hold departure order remains in effect for all inter-island passenger vessels until further notice due to rough seas prevailing as of this writing Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon, it was learned that the 19 crew members and the skipper of the ill-fated Oceanic Container Lines have already been rescued by local fishermen in Culasi, while the vessel's cook identified as a certain Leo Geguro died. (PNA/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (June 23, 2008 issue)
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Classes in typhoon-hit areas suspended