Cargo ship with 10 crewmen missing since storm Kristine hit

Occidental Mindoro. INQUIRER FILES

A cargo vessel with 10 crew members has been missing since Oct. 27, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Thursday as it launched search and rescue operations in the waters off Paluan town in Occidental Mindoro province.

In a statement, the PCG said MV Sta. Monica-A1, operated by Synergy Sea Venture Inc., left Sta. Cruz Port in Taytay, Palawan, on Oct. 22 and headed to Barangay Casian in the same province to seek shelter due to adverse weather conditions brought by Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” (international name: Trami).

No contact

Kristine, the 11th storm to hit the country this year, entered the Philippine area of responsibility on Oct. 21, made landfall in Isabela province on Oct. 24, and exited to the West Philippine Sea.

Since the vessel was declared unreachable by the clearing officer five days after its departure, multiple attempts to contact the crew, which includes 10 members and the captain, have been unsuccessful, according to a report by the PCG station in Occidental Mindoro on Thursday.

Discouraging signs

On Oct. 27, fishermen from several villages in Occidental Mindoro’s Mamburao town reported recovering 10 empty liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks during their fishing trips.

These were allegedly sold to a local buyer, and personnel from the Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Mamburao later confirmed their presence.

On Monday, a resident of Barangay Marikit in Paluan reported sightings of two floating cadavers and several dead carabaos about 26 kilometers (14 nautical miles) off the coast.

A local fisherman confirmed these sightings but was unable to investigate further.

Life jacket retrieved

On Tuesday, a resident of Sitio (subvillage) Dungon in Barangay Tayamaan, Mamburao, informed CGSS that his nephew had recovered a life jacket marked “MV STA MONICA-A1” and two unmarked life rings about 18 kilometers (10 nautical miles) off Paluan. These items have since been secured by CGSS Mamburao.

Following the reports, the PCG-251 Islander conducted an aerial search over the waters off northeast El Nido and Mamburao for more signs of the missing vessel.

Representatives from Synergy Sea Venture Inc., which operates the vessel, have been coordinating with the PCG for updates.

Search operations would continue unless they are seriously hampered by weather and sea conditions, officials said. INQ