Two ships collide in Cavite waters; no casualties reported but fuel leak feared
TWO foreign-registered vessels loaded with coal and gasoline fuel collided on Wednesday night in the waters of Cavite with no reported human casualties. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has secured both vessels for investigation.
A PCG report, through its spokesman, Commodore Armand Balilo, said the Marshall Island-registered cargo vessel MV Ivy Alliance and Thailand-flagged MV Rich Rainbow collided in waters some three nautical miles from Cavite City at past 9 p.m.
“The PCG found out that Rich Rainbow…was loaded with gasoline, while Ivy Alliance, registered under the flag of Marshall Islands, was loaded with coal when the accident occurred,” the PCG said in a news statement issued on Thursday.
Balilo said Rich Rainbow, with a gross tonnage of 29,513 GRT, was on its way to China from the Philippines, while the 31, 572 GRT Ivy Alliance was on its way to the country from Indonesia.
Following the incident, the PCG deployed emergency response team from its substation in Cavite City, assisted by other teams from its other substations in Kawit and Noveleta, Cavite province.
Based on the initial investigation of its personnel, the PCG said that Ivy Alliance incurred approximately about 10 to 15 meter horizontal long hole at her forward starboard bow above the waterline.
On the other hand, the rich rainbow sustained a 15 to 20 meter horizontal long hole from her “starboard bow to starboard beam” above the waterline.
Hours after the incident, Commodore Leovigildo Panopio, commander of the PCG District National Capital Region-central Luzon (NCR-CL), ordered the deployment of personnel from the Manila PCG station, as well as the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) from the PCG District NCR-CL onboard BRP Malabrigo (MRRV-4402) to ensure the safety of the crew and gather additional information about the collision.
Balilo said there have been reports of oil leaks from the two crippled vessels.
“While waiting for the marine protests that will be filed by the concerned shipping companies, the Coast Guard Station Cavite conducts necessary preparations for the availability of technical experts who will conduct marine casualty investigation,” the PCG said.
It said that the Port State Control (PSC) would issue notices of detention for both foreign ships in relation to the investigation.