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Passenger vessel Roromaster 5 ran aground near Sitio Sigman in Barangay Udalo, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, at around 12:30 a.m., according to Geoffrey Panganiban, head of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management office. 📷: Geoffrey Panganiban via Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News
ABRA DE ILOG, Occidental Mindoro (UPDATE) — All 117 passengers and crew of roll-on/roll-off vessel MV Roro Master 5 were rescued after the boat ran aground off Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, according to an updated report from the Abra de Ilog Emergency Response Operations.
Geoffrey Panganiban, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Abra de Ilog, said they immediately responded after receiving a report that the Roro Master 5 had run aground near Sitio Sigman in Barangay Udalo at around 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
The Philippine Coast Guard said the vessel hit the seabed about 30 meters from the shoreline of Barangay Udalo.
It was en route from Batangas Port and was nearing Abra de Ilog Port when the incident occurred.
The incident triggered panic among passengers, coming just a week after the deadly fire aboard the passenger vessel MV June Aster in Coron, Palawan, which left 77 people dead.
Passenger Kith Mallorca Madali said they were immediately told to wear life jackets and prepare to evacuate.
“Ang lakas po ng kalabog nang sumadsad, dalawang beses po, may mga matanda po na nag-panic, kawawa din po yung ibang pasahero lalo na may 2 linggong gulang pa lamang,” Madali said.
Videos taken by Madali showed passengers already wearing life jackets as rescue teams transferred them one by one onto a life raft.
Videos and photos shared by another passenger, Reynante Agustin, also showed passengers wearing life jackets, with fear and anxiety visible on their faces.
Videos provided by Panganiban also showed rescue personnel carrying at least one female passenger who appeared to be unconscious, while others were transported by wheelchair to the terminal building at Abra de Ilog Port.
Coast Guard Southern Tagalog District Commander Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla said all passengers had been rescued and authorities were already assessing how to remove the vessel from where it ran aground.
“Initial assessment indicated a rocky seabed, with no marine protected area identified in the vicinity. No oil spill was observed in the surrounding waters, and there was no water ingress inside the vessel,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said.
Cayabyab said an initial investigation indicated that the vessel experienced a gyrocompass failure, causing it to deviate from its intended course and run aground.
The Philippine Coast Guard and the Abra de Ilog local government have established an incident command post to coordinate the response.
Divers are expected to inspect the underside of the vessel to determine the extent of damage.