The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) on Friday, March 31, ordered an investigation on all the vessels operated by Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc., the owner of MV Lady Mary Joy 3 which caught fire while transiting Basilan recently. The incident killed 29 people.

Marina Administrator Hernani Fabia directed the agency’s Enforcement Service (ES) to conduct a marine safety investigation on MV Lady Mary Joy 3 to determine if it complied with all the necessary procedures set by the agency before it sailed.

“In line with our commitment to ensure the safety and security of all maritime activities, we have also directed the conduct of surveys on all vessels operated by Aleson Shipping Lines, as well as intensified compliance monitoring for all vessels in the country,” the Marina said in a statement.

“Likewise, pursuant to the directive of Marina Administrator Atty. Hernani Fabia under Special Order No. 364-23, our Enforcement Service has commenced the marine safety investigation of MV Lady Mary Joy 3 and to conduct compliance monitoring of vessels to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to prevent similar incidents in the future,” it added.

The Zamboanga City-based shipping line has yet to respond to the issue as of this writing.

In its website, Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc. said that it operates a fleet of 25 vessels and “has become the dominant shipping operator in Western Mindanao.”

Moreover, Fabia instructed the shipping line to extend assistance to the victims of the ferry fire as he expressed sympathies to their bereaved families.

“We have also directed the Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc. to attend and extend assistance to the victims of the fire, help the survivors who needed medical attention, financial and whatever assistance to families of those who lost their loved ones,” the Marina said.

Based on the passenger manifest of MV Lady Mary Joy 3, there were 252 individuals onboard the ferry when it caught fire at 9.3 nautical miles off the littoral monitoring station (LMS) Pilas near Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan around 10:40 p.m. last Wednesday, March 29.

Among them were 205 passengers, 35 crew, four sea marshalls from the PCG, and eight security personnel from the Philippine Army (PA). The ferry departed Zamboanga City en route to Jolo, Sulu when the fire broke out.

The incident killed 29 people, 216 others were rescued and seven more were still missing.