Sun Star Bacolod

Dredger barge sinks; 11 crew members rescued

- BY GLAZYL Y. MASCULINO

ELEVEN crew members of a dredger barge from Albuera Leyte were rescued after it sank at Ajouan Island in Barangay Cartagena, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental Wednesday morning.

Lieutenant Commander Lodovico Librilla Jr., head of Philippine Coast Guard (Pcg)-negros Occidental, has yet to provide the names of the crew members.

Librilla said two barges left Albuera, Leyte at 7 p.m. on December 9. Both were initially towed by a tugboat but because of its heavy weight, the crew members requested for another tugboat boarded by 11 persons for assistance.

The barges were supposed to go to Antique but one of which sank when huge waves hit it when they reached the said area at 9 a.m.

The crew members of PMI-16 were rescued by the members of tugboat IMC2. All of them were safe and unharmed.

Librilla said the 11 crew members of PMI-16 and 11 members of tugboat IMC-2 were temporaril­y accommodat­ed at Campomanes Bay while the investigat­ion is ongoing.

The other barge proceeded to Antique as scheduled.

Librilla said they will call the office of the sunken barge to meet them to discuss the incident and to also determine its cause.

They have already detected that something is wrong with the barge when they left Leyte but they cannot tell what was it, Librilla said.

Probably the barge has a hole which caused the flooding. But, we cannot yet tell the exact reason until the result of the investigat­ion comes out, he added.

Librilla said the barge sank 67 meters under the sea.

There is nothing to worry because the barge has no machine, and it does not produce oil, he said.

But PCG personnel will still have to check the sunken barge if needed and if it’s already safe, he added.*

 ?? CONTRIBUTE­D PHOTO ?? COUNCILOR Dionilo Bogtae and the personnel of Philippine Coast Guard respond to the sunken barge, wherein 11 crew members were rescued at Barangay Cartagena in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental Wednesday.
CONTRIBUTE­D PHOTO COUNCILOR Dionilo Bogtae and the personnel of Philippine Coast Guard respond to the sunken barge, wherein 11 crew members were rescued at Barangay Cartagena in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental Wednesday.

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