Dead in Collision in Manila Bay

Padmesh Prabhune

Two crew members died while 18 more were rescued after the two vessels MV Hong Hai 189 and MT Petite Soeur collided in the vicinity waters of Corregidor Island last week Friday, April 28, 2023. The authorities have detained MT Petite Soeur.

According to the report, the collision occurred in the waters between Mariveles, Bataan, and Corregidor Island around 9.30 p.m. Friday. It is learnt that the collision between the 140-meter dredge and the 183-meter tanker made the dredge submerge while the tanker remained unimpaired.

“The Coast Guard Sub-Station Corregidor was informed that MV Hong Hai 189 had already capsized. The PCG vessel, BRP Capones, was directed to proceed to the incident area.”

MV Hong Hai 189 is a dredger-type vessel which bears the flag of Sierra Leone while the MT Petite Soeur is a chemical/oil product tanker carrying the flag of the Marshall Islands. The former’s last port was recorded as Botolan, Zambales, while the latter was in Mariveles, Bataan.

Rescue vessel Heng Da 19, which was near the vicinity of the incident, came to the rescue of 16 out of 20 crew members of MV Hong Hai 189.

Unfortunately two crew members — a Chinese and a Filipino — onboard the dredge passed away in the collision. While the crew member from China drowned, the Filipino, the vessel’s safety officer, subsequently lost his life after suffering head injuries. This happened after he and 15 other members of the crew were rescued by another vessel Three other members of the Chinese crew are missing.

All 21 crew members of the Petite Soeur were reported to be in safe condition.

       -Marex Media.