The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued 34 seafarers from a Korean fishing vessel that was abandoned after it was damaged by a fire inside its engine room in the waters off Panganiban, Catanduanes on Wednesday.
The PCG reported no casualties but the survivors included 22 Indonesians, 10 Koreans, and two Filipinos.
The PCG said the fishing vessel FV No. 96 Oyang departed from Busan, South Korea for Montevideo, Uruguay for fishing operations when a thick black smoke started coming out of its engine room.
The vessel caught fire at 2 a.m. on Jan. 26, Tuesday.
The MV Golden Aspirant immediately conducted rescue operations at 3 a.m. with assistance from the PCG.
Upon the arrival of the 34 seafarers at the Port of Cebu, the One-Stop Shop (OSS) Cebu Team, together with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), facilitated a swab sample collection and provided hot meals to the rescued mariners.
The PCG said the seafarers are currently being monitored by their ship company’s representative, in coordination with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) – Region VII and South Korea Consulate based in Cebu City.