Oil tanker fire injures captain, 17 crew in Bataan
(UPDATE) CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—A marine oil tanker caught fire while waiting to load fuel from the Petron Bataan Refinery in Bataan’s Limay town on Wednesday afternoon, injuring the captain and his 17 crew members, according to a report to Camp Olivas here on Thursday.
The tanker Reia Faye, operated by Reild Marine Services and Trading, was anchored about a nautical mile off the shores of Barangay (village) Luz when explosions and burst of flames struck the engine room around 4 p.m., the Bataan police said.
The fire was initially traced to a generator that suffered mechanical failure.
The ship’s captain, Vincent Latap, and five crew members, suffered severe burns. Twelve others sustained minor injuries. At least 13 of the crew were identified as apprentices or on-the-job trainees.
Most of them jumped into the water and were later rescued by tugboat operators of Barangay Lamao. They were either brought to the Bataan Provincial Hospital in Balanga City or to St. Michael Hospital in nearby Orion town. RAM
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