LAOAG CITY — A cargo vessel carrying aggregates ran aground Monday near the shoreline of Barangay La Virgen Milagrosa in Badoc, Ilocos Norte, after rough weather forced the ship off course, local authorities said.
Reports said that all 15 crew members aboard the LCT MSCI 1 were rescued safely through a coordinated effort by village watchmen, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police from Badoc and the adjacent town of Sinait in Ilocos Sur.
An initial report from the Sinait police station said the vessel was en route to Calayan Island in Cagayan province when it encountered stormy weather.
“Water entered the ballast tanks, causing the vessel to tilt,” police said in the report.
The rescued crew members were brought ashore and are staying in the area while waiting for the rough weather to subside, officials said.
According to the state weather bureau, the southwest monsoon, locally known as the habagat, is currently affecting the western sections of Northern and Central Luzon, while localized thunderstorms are impacting the Cagayan Valley region.