Coast guard rescue 25 people from sunk vessel

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued 25 people including 20 passengers from a wooden-hulled vessel that ran aground in the province of Tawi-Tawi, a PCG official said Wednesday.

Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) Calixto Sabela, Bongao Coast Guard Station officer-in-charge, said the vessel ran aground Saturday while travelling from the town of Languyan en route to Bongao town, the capital of Tawi-Tawi.

The vessel, M/L Sulna Express, ran aground at the Manalik Channel after strong water current and winds pushed the ferry to the shallow waters, Sabela said.

He said the M/L Sulna Express, a 16-tonner “temper type” wooden-hulled watercraft, has been grounded since it is not allowed to carry passengers as it is registered as a cargo ferry.

He said they will only allow the ferry to sail again once its owner will acquire permit to ferry passenger and cargo.

Watercraft, mostly wooden-hulled, serves as the main mode of transportation in travelling from one island to another in Tawi-Tawi that consists of 11 island towns. (Bong Garcia)