UP Ibalon Bicol: Ferry capsizes in Southern Philippines; 9 drowned, 63 missing

Ferry capsizes in Southern Philippines; 9 drowned, 63 missing

9/07/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

Super Ferry 9 with about 1,000 people on board sank in in Siocon Bay in Zamboanga, Southern Mindanao on Sunday, September 6, 2009. As of latest report 9 passengers died and 63 were declared missing. 925 pnicked passengers were rescued from the ferry which tilted for hours before it keeled and went down the sea.

So far only two fatalities were identified: 2 year-old James Patrick Galero and 45 year-old Fernando Estrada. According to the Coast Guard, the survivors were taken to vessels who responded to the emergency---265 were rescued by MV Ocean Integrity, 446 in MV Myriad, 170 in a Philippine Navy vessels, 26 and 19 in fishing boats Sierra and Julius respectively.

The immediate cause of the mishap was unclear. Coast Guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said the ship left General Santos City at 8:45 a.m. Saturday and was heading for Iloilo when it began having problems with its generator. The ferry was abandoned at 4:40 early Sunday morning.

Owned by the Aboitiz Transport System Corporation, the ill-fated ship had history of engine troubles. The last incident was in May 2009 when its travel was interrupted for 12 hours in Camiguin Province because of mechanical trouble.

This recent sea tragedy is another mishap that isn’t unexpected. The Philippines has a very poor record of maritime safety (see related blogs). In June 2008, Princess of the Stars sank off Romblon during Typhoon Fengshen claiming the lives of more than 800 passengers. In 1987, greater thn 4,000 people were lost in a fiery collision between the ferry Dona Paz and an oil tanker near Mindoro Island, the worst in memory.

In spite of the outrage and calls by concerned citizens to step up safety and regulations to avert deaths, nothing seems to have improved. The governmet seems helpless in preventing the sea disasters. Souces: GMA.newsTV; Guardian.co.uk (Photo Credit: Reuters) =0=

RELATED BLOGS: RP’s maritime disasters: a harvest of blame and shame Posted by mesiamd at 11/08/2008; "Ferry boat sinks in Masbate killing 40" Posted by mesiamd at 11/04/2008; "Boat mishap in Iloilo, 9 dead" Posted by mesiamd at 01/06/2008; "The need for witnesses in the Princess of the Stars toxic chemical recovery" Posted by mesiamd at 9/25/2008; "Endosulfan safely retrieved: where are the other toxic chemicals?" Posted by mesiamd at 10/07/2008 ; "Toxic Cargo" Posted by mesiamd at 6/28/2008.

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Labels: Aboitiz, Aboitiz Transport System, Coast Guard, Dona Paz, maritime disasters, mishap, Princess of the Stars, ship capsizes, ship sunk, Super Ferry 9, SuperFerry, Totie Mesia, Zamboanga

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Ferry capsizes in Southern Philippines; 9 drowned, 63 missing

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