Chemicals, heat fueled ferry fire; 16 charged
A chemical reaction involving hazardous cargo and intense heat from a malfunctioning engine fueled a ferry fire that killed 77 people off Coron, Palawan, in September, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said on Thursday as it confirmed the filing of a criminal complaint against 16 individuals.
BFP spokesperson Fire Supt. Anthony Arroyo told the Inquirer that investigators found calcium hypochlorite, a chemical classified as dangerous cargo, had come into contact with asphalt stored near the vessel’s engine exhaust outlet, triggering the rapid spread of flames and explosions.
The findings followed an investigation into the Sept. 9 fire aboard MV June Aster in the waters off Barangay Marcilla.
A document dated Nov. 11 and obtained by the Inquirer showed that the BFP filed a criminal complaint against 16 individuals, including four Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel, before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Manila on Wednesday.
Arroyo said the chemicals were stored close to each other at the rear portion of the vessel’s cargo deck on its starboard side, where intense heat from the engine exhaust contributed to the chemical reaction.
A mechanical failure in the engine further increased the heat, he added. “The two chemicals came into contact, causing a chemical reaction, with heat also contributing,” Arroyo said.
The reaction triggered the rapid spread of flames to nearby combustible and flammable materials, accompanied by explosions, he said.
Arroyo clarified that the presence of 5.85 metric tons of calcium hypochlorite aboard the vessel did not automatically mean the chemical alone caused the fire.
Instead, investigators identified the interaction between the chemicals and intense heat as factors that accelerated the blaze.
Reckless imprudence
In the criminal complaint if filed before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office, the BFP charged 16 individuals, four of them PCG personnel, with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, multiple physical injuries and damage to property under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code.
The four Coast Guard noncommissioned officers, who were assigned to the PCG substation in Del Pan, Manila, allegedly did not exercise the necessary care, precaution and vigilance during their predeparture inspection of the vessel on Sept. 8.
According to the BFP, the PCG personnel failed to ensure the ferry’s compliance with maritime safety standards before clearing it for departure.
The other respondents included six officers and crew members of MV June Aster, three officers and employees of its operator, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., and three officers and employees of Mega Lifters Cargo Handling Corp., a third-party contractor of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
The vessel’s crew allegedly failed to exercise the required care and vigilance in performing their duties involving the ship, its passengers and dangerous cargo.
The ferry operator’s personnel, on the other hand, were cited for alleged lapses in supervising operations and implementing company policies, while the cargo-handling contractor’s employees were accused of failing to exercise the diligence required under its administrative and operational policies.
PPA employee flagged
Separately, the BFP recommended an administrative review of a PPA employee over the entry of the hazardous shipment at its Pasig River terminal on Sept. 3, six days before the fire.
A BFP document obtained by the Inquirer identified the cashier-in-charge at the terminal when the bulk shipment of calcium hypochlorite entered the facility.
Arroyo said dangerous cargo was subject to maximum allowable quantities, although he did not specify the limit applicable to MV June Aster or whether the shipment exceeded it.
He explained that the BFP does not enforce the Fire Code aboard vessels.
