Two dead, 55 rescued as RORO vessel Sinks in Masbate Coast

The MV Lady of Mount Carmel left from Pio Duran town of Albay province in route to Masbate when it sank off Burias Island and disappeared early Friday morning leaving two persons dead and 55 rescued.

Authorities said that there are two dead recovered from the sea- one was an elderly woman without a life vest while the other is still unidentified as of this writing. Authorities said fifty-five others were rescued in life rafts. Raffy Alejandro of Bicol’s Office of Civil Defense quoted the ship’s captain as saying that a bus on board the RORO had loose its moorings that caused the boat to lose its balance, tilt, and then sink.

The  Ship’s captain added that the ship’s water pump reportedly did not work as seawater filled the boat.

The Philippine Coast Guard said the MV Lady of Mount Carmel sank off Burias Island at about 5 a.m., some three hours after leaving Pio Duran town in Albay province, radio dzBB reported.

In an interview on “News To Go,” GMA News’ Jener Magbojos Jr said 55 people were rescued as of 10 a.m., including the skipper who was rescued earlier. He said there were 22 crew members and 40 passengers on the ship’s manifest.

In a later interview on dzBB, Dr. Hernando Dorongon of the Masbate Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council cited initial reports saying another fatality was recovered but was not immediately identified.

“May isang na-recover na patay, hindi namin ma-identify,” he said. This was hours after a report of an old woman found dead in the sea.

“Nakalutang po siya, wala po siyang life jacket. Bale nalunod siya. Nabagok yung ulo niya. Bumubula pa yung bunganga dahil sa tindi ng impact nang pagkapalo sa kanya sa ulo [noong lumubog yung barko],” Coast Guard Seaman First Class John Michael Mandane said of the first reported fatality.

According to GMA’s ‘News to go’, the first fatality was identified as 50-year-old Carlotta Senga in a report by GMA News Stringer Michael Jaucian.

A separate report on dzRH radio said the RORO vessel was carrying two trucks and two buses at the time it sank.

The RORO vessel’s captain was one of those rescued. Asked if the sea was rough during the incident, the captain said: “Hindi naman (the weather was not inclement).”

Meanwhile, dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported the Coast Guard was readying a helicopter to conduct an aerial search for survivors.

The Coast Guard is also checking for a possible oil spill in the area.

Sources: GMA newsTV “news to go”, GMA news online