Marina suspends operation of passenger vessel after accident

MANILA, Philippines — The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has suspended the ship safety certificate of a passenger vessel after it figured in an accident at the Port of Batangas on Friday.

According to the initial report released by Marina, MV RDI Genesis 1 was preparing to dock at a fastcraft berth at around 6 a.m. when it accidentally bumped the seawall of the port, which was 50 meters from the docking site.

The report noted that the ship’s engine throttle was “at neutral position” when it was maneuvering for docking.

However, the “starboard side throttle malfunctioned [or did not respond] causing the vessel to continue forward.”

Marina noted that the vessel was damaged “at the forward portion, including its passenger ramp, rendering it unsafe to continue operation.”

With this, the agency suspended the vessel’s passenger ship safety certificate pursuant to a provision under the Ship Safety Inspection Manual, which says that “the Ship Safety Certificate shall be suspended if the vessel has been involved in any incident [or] accident that may put in question the integrity of the hull and its integral part including its machinery.”

Marina said its surveyors will be conducting a thorough safety inspection of the vessel to determine its “seaworthiness before lifting of the suspension order.” /ee