2 of 21 Pinoy sailors dead after vessel capsized near Scarborough Shoal

Two died while one is seriously injured among 21 Filipino sailors aboard a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel that capsized near Scarborough Shoal in the wee hours of Friday, according to the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

The embassy said M/V Devon Bay sank “55 nautical miles northwest” of Huangyan Dao, the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal, while Bajo de Masinloc or Panatagal Shoal for the Philippines.

The cargo vessel was reportedly loaded with iron ore and was carrying 21 Filipino crew on board when the China Coast Guard (CCG) was alerted by the maritime search and rescue center in Sansha City, Hainan province, regarding the incident around 1:30 a.m.

Separate rescue and search operations by the CCG and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) were swiftly deployed to locate the crews, though the former were first to respond to the area.

As of 12:30 p.m. on Friday, 17 crew members have been rescued, 14 of whom are in stable condition, while one is currently receiving medical treatment.

Photos and videos released by the Chinese Embassy in Manila showed that the rescued Filipino crew received immediate medical attention.

Citing an initial report, the PCG said the foreign vessel departed Gutalac, Zamboanga del Sur, en route to Yangjiang, China, when the incident occurred.

The vessel was last seen about 141 nautical miles west of Sabangan Point, Agno Bay, Pangasinan, at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. Subsequently, a distress report reached PCG, notifying them that the cargo was already listing at approximately 25 degrees.

The PCG deployed two maritime vessels and two aircraft to conduct search and rescue operations for the Filipino crews aboard the capsized vessel.

It added, however, that the Hong Kong maritime rescue center informed them that 10 of the 21 Filipino crew members were already rescued by a passing CCG vessel.

The PCG underscored that the last reported position of the distress vessel remains within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, where all ships may pass under the freedom of navigation as accorded by the UNCLOS.

“Said freedom, however, does not allow law enforcement patrols by foreign vessels,” it said.