Over 20 seafarers Poisoned on Philippines Vessel

Padmesh Prabhune

More than 20 crew members are feared to have been accidentally poisoned, following exposure to sulphuric acid on a ro-pax vessel in the Philippines.

The Vessel FIL SURIGAO DELNORTE belonged to the Cokaliong Shipping Lines ferry, one of the youngest shipping companies based in Cebu City, Philippines, that operates both passenger and cargo ferries on eight routes in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Emergency services took the seafarers to hospital following a spill on the the 3,000-gt Surigao del Norte (built 1999,). The captain of the vessel Ervin Lumbab, was among those affected and is being treated.

According to reports, a sealed container carrying the chemical fell while being loaded by a forklift inside the ship.

Jessie Nieves, the ship’s second officer said, “The chemical was bound for Calbayog [in Samar]. It was put on a forklift, but unfortunately, it suddenly fell.”

The officer added that many of his colleagues experienced nausea, while some vomited after inhaling the chemical. More than 10 seafarers needed immediate treatment by a medical team from the Cebu Port Authority.

It is also learnt that the container hit another as it fell off the forklift. Senior fire officer Wendell Villanueva, of the Cebu City fire office, said the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) special rescue force attended the scene.

He added: “Cebu City port was under the command and control of the Bureau of Fire Protection. Passengers trapped inside the vessel were safely rescued and evacuated and further given medical care.”

The report mentioned further AIS data showed the vessel moored in Surigao on Tuesday. The vessel is classed by Registro Italiano Navale. The Equasis database lists no recent port control inspections on its record and also the insurer is not known.

-Marex Media