Chinese cargo vessel capsizes off N. Samar, 9 passengers rescued

By Minerva BC Newman
Cebu City – A Chinese Flag Cargo Vessel KIN MING NO.16 with nine passengers on board made an emergency docking at about 300 meters from the shoreline at the vicinity of Barangay 2 Poblacion, Pambujan town in Northern Samar Tuesday afternoon as it was battered by big waves and about to capsize due to bad weather brought about by typhoon Agaton, Police Regional Office-8 reported.

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According to a spot police report sent to Manila Bulletin, elements of the Pambujan Municipal Police Station received a distress call from the ship’s crew requesting immediate evacuation of the nine passengers composed of one Taiwanese, six Chinese, and two Hongkong nationals.

The report said at about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, all nine passengers had already been rescued by a composite team of Pambujan Municipal Police Station, Norther Samar PMFC 2nd MP, Coastguard, MDRRMO Pambujan, and Red Cross NSamar.

The rescued nationals are now at the Pambujan mayor’s residence after they were physically examined at the town’s Rural Health Unit, the report said.

Ham Sebei, a crew member said their vessel left China to procure some goods. While sailing, the ship was battered by huge waves that resulted in the rupture of its hull sucking seawater and flooding its compartments and the engine room and causing the engine to conk out.

The ship drifted towards the municipal waters of Pambujan when the Castguard received the distress call from them. According to Sebei, they have with them on board 100 cartons of alcoholic beverages.

Rescuers led by PO3 Madrid disclosed that the first deck of the ship was already submerged in seawater and its starboard was tilting to the right. Only the upper half or the second deck of the ship remained afloat but was slowly sinking as it kept on drawing in more seawater.