2 Pinoys from sunken ship still missing

MANILA, Philippines - Two Filipino seafarers who were among the crew members of the sunken Barbados-registered cargo vessel MV Kea are still missing, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Citing the report of the Philippine embassy in Madrid, the DFA said rescue operations for the two missing Filipino seafarers are ongoing. 

The DFA withheld the identities of the two Filipino seamen until their families are informed about the incident.

The other Filipino crew members of MV Kea will be repatriated to the Philippines.  

The embassy said that 15 of the seafarers were expected to be released from the San Rafael Hospital in Coruna, Spain, last Friday.

The seafarers did not suffer any serious injuries but were treated for bruises and muscle swelling.

Meanwhile, two Filipino crew members rescued by MV Sapphire were scheduled to arrive in Rotterdam yesterday.

The DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs is closely coordinating with the local manning agency to monitor the conditions of all the Filipino seafarers.

The embassy also instructed Honorary Consul General Elias Lamelas to extend assistance to the distressed Filipino seafarers.

MV Kea sank in Cape Villano in Galicia, Spain while enroute from St. Petersberg, Russia to Columbia.