Vietnamese cargo vessel runs aground off Palawan; 17 crewmen rescued

PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) and PNP personnel rescued 17 Vietnamese crew members of a cargo vessel that ran aground off Balabac, Palawan last Tuesday night.

In a statement, the PCG said the ill-fated vessel, Viet Hai Star, carrying 4,000 tons of rice, was half-submerged as of yesterday.

The Vietnamese-flagged vessel ran aground at around 9 p.m. about 810 yards from the Balabac Port, the PCG said.

The vessel was on its way to Cagayan de Oro City, from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam when its crew discovered a leak on the starboard or left side of the bow at around 9 a.m.

PCG and PNP Maritime Group personnel promptly launched a search and rescue operation, reaching the area at around 9:45 p.m.

“Upon initial assessment, the crew found out that the first compartment of the bow was already flooded,” the PCG said.

The crew stayed in the vessel to monitor the situation but eventually abandoned the ship at around 4:20 a.m. yesterday.

The rescued crew members, all in good physical condition, arrived at the Balabac Port at around 5:10 a.m. yesterday.

Citing information from the Coast Guard Station South Palawan, the PCG said Viet Hai Star was half-submerged as of 9:21 a.m. yesterday.

The PCG’s Marine Environmental Protection Unit in Palawan found no signs of oil spill.

The PCG said it “continues investigating the incident to (gather) additional information regarding the maritime incident.”