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CEBU CITY, Philippines - A passenger vessel from Cebu ran aground while maneuvering to dock at Bato port in Leyte on Monday morning.
Seaman First Erwin Jamosmos of the Coast Guard District Central Eastern Visayas said MV FIJI 2 of the South Pacific Transport Corporation was listing on the port side as of Monday noon.
All the 55 passengers and 17 crew members were all safe, Jamosmos said.
He said people at the port decided to use a wooden ladder that would serve as bridge for the passengers from the vessel towards the port.
He said the gap between the port and the vessel was only two yards. The passengers were able to walk through the wooden ladder.
Jamosmos said the crew were preparing to dock at around 5 a.m. when the vessel suddenly ran aground.
As of press time, the ship captain Florencio Rosales has yet to submit a marine protest to determine the cause of the accident.
MV Fiji2 left Cebu port at 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a cargo vessel has sunk off Romblon but all its 13 crew members managed to swim safely to a nearby island, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
The MV Margilen II sank at around 4 p.m. on Sunday in the vicinity of Cresta de Gallo Island in San Fernando, Romblon due to strong waves spawned by typhoon Nina (international codename: Hagupit), the PCG said Monday.
It said making matters worse was the vessel's defective water pump used for removing excess water that enter the ship's hull, the PCG said.
There was no cargo on board the vessel when it left Cebu at 11 a.m. on Saturday, the coast guard said.
Eight of the 13 crew members have been rescued and were taken to the Coast Guard station in Romblon. The remaining five will follow as strong winds and heavy rains delayed rescue operations, the PCG said.
Search and retrieval operations for the sunken vessel are ongoing, the Coast Guard said. /Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan with Inquirer report
