MV Arikun run aground while at the vicinity of the Lauis Ledge Lighthouse in Talisay City, Cebu. /Photo from PCG-7
CEBU CITY, Philippines — No major damages were found on the underwater hull of MV Arikun after the foreign vessel run aground while at the vicinity of the Lauis Ledge Light House in Talisay City this morning, August 3.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael John Encina, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7), said that Coast Guard divers and personnel from their Marine Environmental Protection Unit also failed to locate traces of oil spill from the vessel.
All that the vessel sustained were minor scratches on its hull, he said quoting the outcome of the underwater inspection made by personnel from their Special Operations Unit in Central Visayas (SOU-CV).
Encina said that none of the vessel’s 18 crew members that consisted of Chinese, Vietnamese and Burmese nationals were also harmed during the incident which happened at past 7 a.m. today.
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MV Arikun that is under the Panama Flagship was carrying 4,120 tons of wheat. It also carried 287, 167 liters of fuel for its use.
But PCG-7 is yet to determine the vessel’s origin.
“We will check pa po where the vessel originally came from,” said Encina.
Encina said that the vessel made a stopover at the ports of Davao City before it travelled to Cebu. MV Arikun was supposed to dock at the Cebu International Port (CIP) in Cebu City, but it hit rocks on the shallow portion of the Lauis Ledge causing the vessel to run aground.
They immediately sent medical personnel to check on the condition of the vessel’s 18 crew members but they were all accounted for and safe, Encina said.
PCG divers and personnel from their Marine Environmental Protection Unit also checked for possible oil spills, but found none.
As of 11 a.m. today, Encina said that MV Arikun was already towed to dock at the ports of Talisay City.
“The vessel is in Talisay anchorage area kasi chini-check pa po ng divers ang integrity ng hull and may further assessment pa po sa vessel.”
(The vessel is now docked in Talisay City so that our divers can conduct further inspection and determine the integrity of its hull.)
Encina said that they have also advised the ship captain to already file a deficiency report before they will be allowed to sail again. /dcb