By MarEx 2017-01-17 18:24:41
[Brief] Philippine search and rescue teams are looking for five missing members of the crew of the cargo vessel Virginia 1, which caught fire and sank Tuesday at the entrance to Manila Bay.
The Virginia had just departed Manila on a voyage to Palawan when a fire broke out on board, and a timeline provided by the Philippine Coast Guard indicates that the vessel went down in less than half an hour. The cause of the accident is not yet known, but authorities believe that the fire began in the vessel’s engine room.
Quartermaster Angelo Gambol was rescued by a fishing vessel off of the municipality of Nasugbu, roughly five nm to the south of the Virginia’s last known position. Four additional crewmembers – Luis Madula, Ronald Garcia, Jonjon Manalo and Ian Badayos – were rescued by the Lamao Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The Virginia’s eleventh crewmember, Sonny Ruado, was killed during a rescue attempt. He was aboard a response vessel but was swept over the side by a wave, according to the commander of the local coast guard unit, Lt. Carlos Victor Carlos.
The Virginia 1 is not listed in public records (excepting a 1977-built cargo ship that was reported broken up in 2000).
