168 passengers rescued from stranded Ro-Ro vessel off Romblon

At least 168 passengers were safely rescued from a “Roll On-Roll Off “(Ro-Ro) vessel early Monday, March 11, 2024, after it ran aground near Romblon town in Romblon province, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. INQUIRER FILES

LUCENA CITY/MANILA, Philippines — At least 168 passengers were safely rescued from a “Roll On-Roll Off “(Ro-Ro) vessel early Monday after it ran aground near Romblon town in Romblon province, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

In an incident report, the PCG-District Southern Tagalog said MV SWM Salve Regina, with 168 passengers, 55 crew members, and 21 rolling cargoes on board, got stuck in the shallow waters off Barangay Capaclan at 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, March 10.

The PCG personnel in Romblon town and local authorities rushed to the site to rescue and evacuate the passengers, who were all found in good physical condition.

At 3:43 a.m. Monday, all ship passengers were safely brought to Romblon public plaza. They were being attended to by the PCG and local authorities.

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The ship’s skipper and his crew, assisted by the PCG, stayed at the grounded vessel for inspection and monitoring.

No oil spill has been detected in the area so far, the PCG said.

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The ship left Madiwang at 9 p.m. on Sunday and was sailing toward Romblon town when the incident happened.

The PCG said its station in Romblon town contracted three boats to evacuate all the passengers.

It also said that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the vessel’s stranding.