By Roy Mabasa
Five Filipino seafarers were reported missing after abandoning their burning cargo vessel off the island of Hawaii two weeks ago, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
According to the DFA, the five were among the 21 Filipino crew of the MV Sincerity Ace who abandoned the Panamanian-flagged vessel after it caught fire on New Year’s Eve some 1,800 nautical miles northwest of Oahu.
The ship’s manning agency told the DFA that a tugboat and another vessel had been sent to the area to locate the five.
The 16 other seafarers were rescued by the United States Coast Guard and other passing merchant vessels.
Most of them have since returned to the Philippines.
It was reported that the ship was en route to Hawaii from Japan carrying 3,500 brand new vehicles when the fire broke out, forcing the crew to abandon ship.