At least 120 vessels off Cebu either sank or ran aground due to ‘Odette’ — PCSA chair

Several vessels ran aground on the marshland beside the Cansaga Bridge in Consolacion town, Cebu after these were swept by Odette’s strong winds. Photo by Connie Fernandez-Brojan, Inquirer Visayas

CEBU CITY — It may take some time before sea travel and delivery of cargoes would return to normal after more than 120 ships either sank or ran aground during the onslaught of “Odette.”

Relatives of 11 crew members of a tug boat also went on social media in search for their loved ones whom they could no longer reach since Dec. 16.

“It was the worst typhoon to hit Cebu,” said Lucio Lim Jr., chair of Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association (PCSA).

Lim, president and chief executive officer of Lite Shipping Corp., said at least 120 vessels – from roll-on roll off vessels to general cargo vessels – either sank or ran aground.

The figures didn’t include the number of vessels that didn’t sink but were damaged during the typhoon, he added.

The PCSA, which has more than 50 members who owned at least 700 vessels, is the largest shipping organization in terms of number of members and total gross tonnage of ships combined.

Aside from the vessels, ports in Cebu and Bohol were also damaged. Lim said some ports could not be accessed because the roads going inside had been blocked by debris.

In Cebu port, there were also some obstructions in the Ro-Ro ramps that prevented vessels from docking. Meanwhile, in Pier 2, container vans fell into the water and had to be removed before the vessels could dock.

Lim said there was also problem in communication since the power had yet to be fully restored and communication signals were down. Even the Philippine Ports Authority offices were damaged by the typhoon, he added.

Their staff members and crew also had to attend to the needs of their own families since they too were affected by typhoon, said Lim.

“They want us to operate right away but there are a lot of factors (that prevent us from doing so),” he told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

Lim said that before the typhoon, ship owners made sure that their vessels took shelter in places which they believed were safe. These included Getafe and Loon towns in Bohol, Cansaga Bay in Consolacion town Cebu, and Cebu City ports.

But Odette turned out to be not the usual typhoon. It didn’t only spawn strong winds, packing at more than 200 km per hour, it also lingered longer.

By the time the typhoon was over, the vessels struck together like a gridlock on Cansaga Bay.

Some boats were found on the marshland near the foot of the Cansaga Bridge. Several vessels also reportedly ran aground in Getafe. Four vessels of Ocean Jet were battered by strong winds and waves while being docked in Pier 1.

Relatives of 11 crew members of MT Strong Trinity have been looking for the crew after they could no longer be contacted since the onslaught on Thursday.

In a Facebook post, Abaquita Nelper wrote that the boat was last seen on anchorage in Talisay City, south Cebu. The post was filled with comments from relatives of other crew members who were also waiting for word about them.

“Tita ko ni Kris Dawn Labata, basin makabalita mo niya. Let me know. Worried ani family niya. Mayo untag okay silang tanan (I’m the aunt of Kris Dawn Labata, maybe you have news about him. Let me know. His family is worried about him),” wrote Winky Labata

Marivic Pizon also appealed for any news about her younger brother, Clyde Diaz, also a crew member.

Arnel Murga, a cousin of Gifer de Pedro, hoped that the crew were safe, but they could not be reached through cellular phone lines since communication signals in Cebu had been poor and intermittent since the typhoon.

The Philippine Coast Guard reported that three vessels had ran aground in Negros Occidental. Two ran aground in Bacolod City — LCT Citic 102 and MV Jake Vincent Dos.

The MT Mary Queen of Hope was also discovered aground on the Camponames Bay in Barangay Maricalum, Sipalay City.

Alex Cohon of Lapu-Lapu Shipping Lines said he was still trying to pull out his three ships that were stuck on a marshland in Mandaue City, Cebu. With a report from Carla P. Gomez