Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) search and rescue personnel found on Monday, June 14, a cadaver in the area of the burnt and sunken cargo vessel MV Titan 8 in Delpan Bridge, Tondo, Manila.
PCG Commodore Leo Panopio, commander of the PCG National Capital Region (NCR), said the Coast Guard Special Operations group diver found the body while conducting a surface search on Monday morning.
“Sa kasalukuyan kaninang 7:10 nagconduct ang aming special operations group diver ng surface search so may nakita kanina nacadaver kaso sunog siya kaya inahon na namin. Tatawag kami ng Bureau of Arson investigator, hindi namin pwede galawin yung cadaver kaya iintayin namin yung arson investigator (At 7:10 a.m., our special operations group diver conducted a surface search, they found a cadaver in the area. We will call the Bureau of Arson investigator, we cannot move the cadaver so we will wait for the arson investigator),” Panopio said in a radio interview.
“Cocontactin namin yung pamilya nung missing na seafarer na ito na may natagpuan kaninang umaga. Kailangan naming maidentify kung siya na po ito kaya kinocontact namin yung pamilya para dun sa pagkakakilanlan para malaman yung pagkakakilanlan kasi sunog na siya eh (We will contact the family of this missing seafarer that we have found a body this morning. We need to identify the body so we contact the family of the missing seafarer for the identification and validation of the body),” he added.
According to Panopio, the cargo vessel was loaded drums of fuel and gasoline that might caused the huge explosion. The ship was also loaded with lumber.
PCG personnel laid absorbent pads to cover the thick “oil sheens” and oil spill blooms and prevent a possible oil spill in the area where MV Titan 8 sank after the blaze.
Based on the initial report, the cargo vessel was docked at the wharf for refuelling in preparation for its travel to Palawan when a loud explosion occurred on Saturday, June 12.
The PCG reported that at least six individuals were injured in the incident — four of them are crew members of the MV Titan 8, while two are crew members of the nearby vessel MV Princess Christine.
Several houses near the area were also affected by the fire when some drums filled with gasoline drifted from the cargo vessel. The six-hour fire was extinguished at 2:57 p.m.
Authorities are still conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.