A cargo ship carrying 23 crew members and approximately 264 gross tonnages of sand capsized in the vicinity waters of Surigao del Norte on Friday morning, Feb. 10, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.
LCT Pacifica 1 was traversing the waters between Hinatuan Island and Bucas Grande Island when it was slammed by big waves about three meters high, said Commodore Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson.
The waters then entered the engine room of the vessel which caused an engine trouble and steering casualty until it capsized around 8:30 a.m.
Roberto Espino, ship captain, said they departed Cabadbaran Port in Agusan del Norte and were bound to Dapa Port in Surigao del Norte when the accident occurred.
Luckily, another motor vehicle, MV Veronica, spotted the capsized vessel and rescued Espino and his crew.
A team from the PCG also responded to assess the vicinity waters for a possible oil spill.
Espino received a medical attention while the rest of the crew were declared in good physical condition, according to Balilo.