After docking in Ormoc: Ship catches fire

ORMOC CITY, Philippines — No passengers were hurt but two crewmen were injured after the MV Wonderful Stars, a passenger roll-on/roll-off vessel, caught fire around 4:20 a.m. yesterday, minutes after it docked at the Ormoc City Port from Cebu City.

The injured crewmen of the vessel, which belongs to Roble Shipping Lines, were identified as Jake Rondell Guinocor and Daryll Lee Bentoy. They suffered minor burns and were treated at the Ormoc Sugar Planters’ Association-Farmers Medical Center.

Police Regional Office-8 Director, Chief Superintendent Asher Dolina, told The FREEMAN the ship had 544 passengers, 30 of them minors, and 39 officers and crew. None of the passengers were hurt because they were able to disembark immediately after the fire alarm was sounded.

The fire was put out almost nine hours after it started.

Teodoro Franco Omega, designated person ashore of the Roble Shipping management, said putting out the fire was tricky for the firefighters because of the black, toxic fumes coming from the burnt tires of cars trapped inside.

“They can’t get inside,” he said.

Aside from the BFP-Ormoc, firefighters from Baybay City and the towns of Albuera, Kananga and Isabel came to the scene to help out. The Coast Guard-Ormoc was also on alert for a possible oil spill from the stricken ship.

Joy Emery Roble, president and chief executive officer of Roble Shipping, said according to the manifest there were 23 rolling cargoes on the ship. Only six cars were able to make it off, the rest were lost in the fire. These included several brand-new cars to be delivered to an undisclosed dealer in Leyte.

The value of the cargo has yet to be determined, Roble said.

Roble Shipping has yet to file a marine protest or incident report with the Coast Guard-Ormoc station, he said, and that fire investigators have yet to determine where the fire started and what caused it.

“Everthing is still under investigation, nothing is official yet. Kung asa ug unsa ang naka-cause sa sunog. Pero among duda  nga naay ligid nga nasunog kay puwerte man gyud itoma sa aso. We are also looking into a possibility nga basin naay naglabay og upos sa cargo area nga maoy hinungdan sa sunog,” he said.

Roble said all the ship’s cargoes were insured, although he said there is no way to tell if the shippers declared the real value of their cargoes, which would be the basis for the payment of insurance.

“Sometimes, they undervalue their declaration to reduce their shipment costs,” he said.

Roble said the MV Wonderful Stars had a P64-million insurance coverage, but the incident was still a big blow to the company, although they were thankful that all passengers and crew are safe and alive.

“That is what is important. The ship is just property. We cannot put a value on the lives of people,” he said.

Roble recounted that while he was in Cebu City, monitoring the incident, he instructed his crew not to take any chances with the fire.

“The fumes are toxic, and inhaling these could harm them,” he said.

The fire was the second major sea incident to happen in Ormoc this year, the first was last July 2 when the MB Kim Nirvana B capsized 200 meters off the Ormoc port and left 63 people dead, with three still missing to this day.

Superstitious folks, in various Facebook posts, suggested masses should be offered again for the victims as their souls could be haunting the Ormoc port.

LAST  VOYAGE

The ship left Cebu City 10 p.m. Friday for Ormoc City. It turned out the journey was to be its last.

To recall, the same vessel figured in an accident in November 2009 after it collided with the MV Subic Bay 1 of Carlos Gothong Lines while both ships were sailing in the Mactan Channel under the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge. Subic Bay 1, which came from Manila carrying cargo, was able to dock safely while the Wonderful Stars ran aground.

The MV Wonderful Stars was also used in relief operations following the Ginsaugon landslides and super typhoon Yolanda. The 1,200-gross ton vessel was acquired from Japan ten years ago.

  Roble said the burnt vessel can no longer be fully repaired owing to the extreme damage. Another vessel will replace the Ormoc-Cebu and vice-versa route in two days.

 The shipping company was established in 1985. It has currently 20 vessels plying the routes of Ormoc, Hilongos, Naval, Baybay and Catbalogan. — /BRP (FREEMAN)