File photo of the coastline of the town center of Coron, Palawan in 2013
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – A cargo passenger vessel of 2GO Travel shipping company suffered engine failure, which caused it to run aground.
The incident happened while the boat was leaving the port of Coron town on Friday, June 8, the Coast Guard District Palawan (CGD-Pal) said in a report on Sunday, June 9.
The CGD-Pal said the crew of MV Francis Xavier were conducting undocking maneuvers when the vessel lost all power and stopped in the water, approximately one nautical mile from the port of Coron at around 4 p.m.
The crew then anchored the ship to prevent it from drifting.
But while engineers were working on power restoration, the vessel’s stern ran aground on a shallow area due to the low tide, CDG-Pal said in its report.
Engineers were able to restore the vessel’s power at 10 p.m. but it remained immobilized as the stern was still grounded.
CGD-Pal spokesperson Ensign Chrieson Dave Gabayan told Inquirer that personnel from the Marine Environmental Protection Unit and Coast Guard Station Northeastern Palawan (CGSNEP) were immediately dispatched to board the vessel.
They were going to conduct an inspection in the engine room and bilge while divers also made an underwater hull assessment.
“So far, they found no signs of possible leakage or oil spill/sheen around the vessel,” Gabayan said in a text message on Sunday.
The ship’s crew plans to return to the port of Coron for a thorough inspection of the boat before continuing the trip.
Meanwhile, CGSNEP also assisted in the disembarkation of passengers.
Gabayan said as of 10:07 a.m., a total of 213 of its 1,365 passengers have already alighted from the ship.
He also said repair of the damaged generator is still ongoing and further inspection of the vessel will be conducted before it is allowed to sail again and proceed to its next destination.