A crew member died and 10 others remain missing after a sand carrier vessel sunk in the sea of Barangay Malawaan, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday afternoon, April 15, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
MV Hong Hai (PCG photo)
The body of the victim, Chinese, was recovered in a search and rescue operation by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Personnel from the Coast Guard Sub-Station San Jose, the Special Operations Unit, and the Marine Environmental Protection Enforcement Response Group were deployed after the Bantay Dagat Rizal reported that MV Hong Hai 16 sunk at about 5 p.m.
They were backed by an additional response team from the PCG in Sablayan.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office deployedoil spill containment booms for possible environmental hazards.
The PCG said the vessel operated by Keen Peak Corp had 25 crew –13 Filipinos and 12 Chinese. It capsized under moderate sea conditions.
Fourteen crew members survived—six Filipinos and eight Chinese.
Ten crew, seven Filipinos and three Chinese, remain missing.
According to the PCG, search and rescue operations are ongoing, including underwater assessments and preparation for diving operations and cutting work by the Coast Guard Special Operations Group Southern Tagalog.
The vessel remains upright but partially submerged, with possible trapped personnel in the engine room, as of posting time.