Search mounted for 9 missing crewmen of cargo ship
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Visayas Bureau
First Posted 22:09:00 05/18/2008
ILOILO CITY, Philippines--Search and rescue operations are ongoing for the crew of a cargo ship believed to have sunk on Friday somewhere in northern Panay.
Reports reaching the Coast Guard District Station in Western Visayas said the cargo ship, M/V Edago Expedition, disappeared after 1 p.m. on Friday while navigating rough seas off the coast of Pandan town in northern Antique.
The owner of the vessel, Edago Lighterage Philippines, reported to the Coast Guard that it had lost contact with the ship.
On Saturday, an Indonesian vessel picked out from waters two crewmembers at around 10:45 a.m., seven miles northwest of Boracay Island in Aklan.
The crew members, identified as Lamberto Aranjuez and Revy June Nankil, were brought to the port of Tabaco in Albay where the Indonesian vessel docked.
There was no word on the nine other crewmembers.
Lt. Commander Juan Manuel Ramos, Coast Guard station chief in Malay in Aklan, said in a telephone interview that they were advised to monitor and conduct search operations for the missing ship and crew but these have been hampered by strong winds and strong waves.
The 248.2-gross tonnage ship was carrying salt and left the port of Occidental Mindoro around 2 p.m. on May 14 bound for Zamboanga, according to the Coast Guard report.
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