500 passengers stranded due to ramp malfunction

MORE than 500 passengers on board a passenger vessel were stranded since Monday afternoon at pier 6 in Cebu City.

MV St. Pope John Paul II of 2Go Shipping encountered problems in its roller sheaves of the  ramp where cargoes cannot be unloaded.

Commodore Enrico Evangelista, commander for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Central Visayas, said that the passenger vessel came  from Manila.  It docked in Cebu and was enroute to Cagayan de Oro.

It had 551 passengers and 143 officers and crew on board with a passenger vessel capacity  of 1,985. Its  shipmaster was  identified as Captain Candido Rasonabe.

As of 1 p.m. yesterday, the ramp was successfully repaired and usable.

Evangelista said 2Go management was willing to refund  tickets of passengers or  let them transfer to MV Pope Leo The Great. As of 2 p.m. yesterday, at least 27 passengers asked for a ticket refund.

MV Pope Leo The Great was expected to arrive at 7 p.m. last night and is also bound to Cagayan De Oro.

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