Two fishermen were injured when a fishing vessel suddenly caught fire and eventually sank off Cuyo, Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Tuesday, May 16.

(Courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard Station Eastern Palawan)

The PCG said that FV Victor 89, a fiber-made fishing vessel owned by Frabelle Fishing Corporation, was razed by fire while in the vicinity waters of Imalaguan Island in Barangay San Carlos around 9:40 a.m. on Monday, May 15. 

Citing accounts from the crew of FV Victor 89, the PCG said that a loud "blast" was heard at the auxiliary engine of the vessel. An auxiliary engine enables uninterrupted electrical power onboard a vessel.

The PCG said that personnel of the Coast Guard Station Eastern Palawan (CGSEP), Cuyo Municipal Police Station, and fishermen from Frabelle Fishing Corporation immediately responded to put out the fire.

“Ngunit matapos ang ilang oras na pagaapula ng apoy, ang nasabing fishing vessel ay tuluyan nang lumubog (However, after a couple of hours of efforts in putting out the fire, the said fishing vessel eventually sank),” the CGSEP said.

FV Victor 89 sank at around 9:40 a.m. on Monday or after almost six hours of firefighting efforts.

Two fishermen sustained first degree burns due to the incident and were brought to the hospital for an immediate treatment. They were identified as Robert Macula, 32, from Leyte; and Arnold Magbanua, 38, from Palawan.

(Courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard Station Eastern Palawan)

The PCG said that an investigation was conducted to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Oil spill booms were also laid down by personnel of the CGSEP as authorities were determining if the sinking of the fishing vessel causes an oil leak.