Passenger vessel MV Filipinas Cebu runs aground in Iloilo. Screenshot from PCG
MANILA, Philippines – A passenger vessel with over 260 passengers onboard was run aground in the vicinity of Igbon and Agho Islands in Iloilo on Tuesday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
According to the PCG’s incident report posted on Facebook, MV Filipinas Cebu’s captain Alexander Wahing said that all 223 passengers and 38 crew members were unharmed.
The PCG said that MV Filipinas Cebu’s company, Cokaliong Shipping Lines, has sent the MV Nasipit a distress signal to help stranded passengers reach their original destination in Cebu.
MV Nasipit, however, have yet to arrive, even though the distress call was made shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
The PCG, Bureau of Customs, and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Concepcion have responded to the maritime incident and are currently monitoring the situation.
The cause of the incident is yet to be determined and is still under investigation by the Coast Guard, while no oil spill was reported due to the grounding.
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