Ro-ro sinks off Masbate; 2 dead

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE 6) - Two passengers died and four more were declared missing after a roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel carrying more than 60 passengers sank in waters off Burias Island in Masbate province on Thursday afternoon.

Lt. Col. Julian Pacatan, commander of the Philippine Army's 9th Infantry Battalion, identified the fatalities as 57-year-old Carlota Senga of Pasig City and Erlinda Julbitado, 59, of Binangonan, Rizal.

The Philippine, on the other hand identified the first fatality as Carlina Zeña, 59, of Baleno, Masbate instead of Carlota Senga.

Pacan said that a total of 58 passengers and crewmembers, including the captain of M/V Lady of Mount Carmel, were rescued in a joint search and rescue operation by the Philippine Army, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Air Force and Philippine Navy and local fishermen.

“Thirty-one passengers, 22 crewmembers, five bus conductors were rescued. Four are still missing while two bodies have been recovered,” said Pacatan, who is personally supervising the ongoing search and rescue operation.

Officials said the vessel left Pio Duran in Albay at around 2 a.m. and was en route to Aroroy, Masbate when it sank at around 5:30 a.m.

The military said that based on initial reports, the vessel's engine conked out while battling big waves and strong winds, one nautical mile off the coast of Barangay Penafrancia on Burias Island.

The PCG earlier reported that the area where the boat sank had a fair weather.

Two units of the Isarog Bus Lines and a six-wheeler forward cargo truck laden with oxygen gas went down with the ill-fated vessel.

In an interview over TV5's Radyo Singko after his rescue, ship captain Mateo Gregorio said that ship tilted before it sank.

"Biglaan yung nangyari, tumagilid," Gregorio said, adding that the ship had just underwent maintenance.

He said that not all of the passengers were given life vests, which, he said, were distributed by the crew as the ship was sinking.

Gregorio also clarified that he was only a reliever for the ship's original captain.

Meanwhile, Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo said that the PCG will form a board of marine inquiry (BMI) to investigate the Ro-Ro's sinking.

Balilo said that the BMI will be immediately formed after the search and rescue operations for the missing passengers.

He said there was a need to form the BMI since the ship's sinking happened during good weather. - with Louis Bacani