ILOILO CITY – A crew of 17 Vietnamese seafarers has found themselves stranded inside the cargo vessel they were manning, which ran aground off the coast of Caluya town in Antique.

 “For now, they’re safe inside the vessel,” said Lt. Noel Ramos, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Antique.

Ramos told The Manila Bulletin in a phone interview Friday, August 14, that it was best they remained inside the vessel as precautionary measure against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Cargo vessel M/V Globe 6 has not moved from its position between the islands of Liawagao and Nabugat since it ran aground late Wednesday afternoon.

The cargo vessel, which was carrying imported rice, was on its way to Davao City from Ho Chi Minh when it ran aground when the officer-on-watch fell asleep.

The PCG in Antique is still waiting for the cargo vessel to be towed to shore as soon as possible.

“But the cargo vessel’s local agent is still working out for a contractor to tow it,” Ramos said.

This was after the PCG was able to conduct underwater inspection, and found the hull to be intact and that it had no holes.

However, Ramos said the PCG was suggesting that the cargo vessel must first unload its cargo of rice to a separate barge so the towing would be smooth, and the vessel will remain stable.

Meanwhile, PCG has found no oil spillage in the area from the incident.