A Filipino seafarer died and another was injured after they struck by an anchor chain while working on an oil tanker in Indonesia.
The seafarers were identified as Junry Popera and Romullo Gollayan, both boat fitters. According to a televised report, the incident occurred on 10 March when the two were sent into a chain hole to recover a stuck anchor.
Gollayan recounted that the chain suddenly loosened during troubleshooting, striking both of them. Popera, who received the hardest blow, died, while Gollayan was hospitalized for his injuries.
Popera’s wife, Elsie, noted the incident could have been prevented. “I don’t know if they forgot or simply failed to double-check if the chain was locked at the top,” she said.
Popera’s remains are still in Indonesia for an autopsy. Meanwhile, Elsie is coordinating with her husband’s local agency, the shipowner, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
She is also considering legal action but remains in discussions with the parties involved. Popera had been working as a boat fitter for the past 15 years. He left behind a wife and son.
The shipowner has committed to cover all expenses related to the incident.
In another accident that resulted in the presumed death of another Filipino seafarer, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it is weighing legal action against the licensed manning agency of the Portuguese-flagged MV Solong.
DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said there were reports of negligence on the part of the vessel’s captain.
The MV Solong collided with the US-flagged chemical tanker Sterna on 10 March. According to DMW, the missing seafarer was last seen on the bow of the vessel, the area that caught fire after it rammed the other vessel.
“We’re carefully looking into this, and legal action will definitely be forthcoming if our lawyers find grounds to file a case,” Cacdac said.
Meanwhile, eight of the Filipino seafarers on the Solong who were rescued and billeted in a hotel in Grimsby, London, are expected to return to the Philippines this week.