TWO individuals were injured after a motor tanker caught fire in Calaca City, Batangas, on Wednesday evening, September 30, 2026.
The Philippine Coast Guard Southern Tagalog said the fire started in the vessel’s engine room while it was docked at the Balayan Distillery Inc. Port in Barangay Talisay.
The vessel, which was carrying molasses, had 22 crew members on board. Twenty were reported safe, while two sustained injuries and were brought to a medical facility.
The Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Lemery, together with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Calaca City and local tugboats Motor Tugboat (MTUG) “Sedar 8” and MTUG “Polaris Queen,” immediately proceeded to the port to assist in firefighting and response operations.
Additional PCG personnel from Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog, CGSS Balayan, CGSS Batangas City, Coast Guard Medical Station–Southern Tagalog, and the Maritime Safety Investigation Unit were deployed to augment the response, provide medical assistance, and conduct an initial investigation.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. / TPM