The MV Hong Hai 189 and MT Petite Soeur collided in the waters of Corregidor Island on April 29, 2023. (Photo from the PCG)
MANILA, Philippines — Two foreign ships collided in the waters off Corregidor Island, leaving at least two people dead and three others missing, said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday.
“The [PCG] responds to a collision between MV Hong Hai 189 and MT Petite Soeur at the vicinity waters off Corregidor Island yesterday, 28 April 2023,” said the Philippine Coast Guard in a statement.
The MV Hong Hai 189 had 20 crew members, with 16 of them rescued. However, one of them, a Filipino crew member, would later die in the hospital after his rescue.
The other casualty was a Chinese seaman, whose body was recovered at sea, said the PCG.
The MV Hong Hai 189 and MT Petite Soeur collided in the waters of Corregidor Island on April 29, 2023. (Photo from the PCG)
Search and rescue operations are ongoing for three others who were reported missing.
“The Coast Guard Sub-Station Corregidor was informed that MV Hong Hai 189 already capsized,” said the PCG.
Meanwhile, the PCG said that “all 21 crew of MT Petite Soeur were in good physical condition.”
According to the PCG, the MV Hong Hai 189 was a dredger under the flag of Sierra Leone. It was last ported in Botolan, Zambales.
The MT Petite Soeur was a chemical oil tanker, and is under the flag of the Marshall Islands. It had last docked in Mariveles, Bataan.
INQUIRER.net has reached out to the PCG to ask if there is a possibility of an oil spill, but it has yet to respond.
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