Ship sinks off Ilocos; 1 dead

A Panamanian cargo vessel sank in waters off Currimao, Ilocos Norte yesterday morning, leaving one crew member dead and five more missing, the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Armand Balilo said the M/V Unicorn Ace sank around 9 a.m. off the coast of Currimao with 13 of its 19 Chinese crew members already rescued.

Balilo said the ship was on its way to Malaysia from Shanghai, China when it sank.

Commodore Vicente Agdamag, commander of the Naval Forces North based in Poro Point in San Fernando, La Union, said 13 crew members of the Hong-Kong-bound vessel have been rescued by a passing Indian ship, M/V Bprabhuyuvik.

Combined rescue teams from the Coast Guard and Navy joined with rescue groups from the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center in searching for the missing crew members, he said.

Navy spokesman Commander Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said an Islander aircraft was dispatched to help in the ongoing search and rescue operations in the area.

The Hong Kong rescue team alerted Philippine authorities and sought permission to fly into the area to pinpoint the exact location of the sunken vessel.

Daisy Lo, spokeswoman for the Hong Kong Marine Department, said the 13 rescued crew were from China and Taiwan but more details about the ship’s origins were not immediately available.

Balilo added the ship sent a distress signal picked up by the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center, but it was not clear why it sank.

Ilocos Norte police director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil said the Panamanian ship sank 80 nautical miles (130 kilometers) west of Currimao.

"The sinking is due to big waves because of the bad weather condition along the coast of Currimao," Bataoil said.

Manny Mendoza, a weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the area was experiencing windy weather, with moderate to rough sea conditions.

In a separate development, a fishing boat capsized off Bayagnan Island near Surigao City Sunday, leaving a fisherman dead.

Reports said the fishing boat Samaru 12 capsized after it was hit by big waves, throwing its three occupants overboard. Police identified the lone fatality as Roberto Roque.

The ill-fated fishing boat skippered by Johnny Tan experienced engine trouble in open sea when it was hit by big waves, capsizing the boat. - with Jun Elias, Ben Serrano, AP