Dredging in Occidental Mindoro town halted as ship’s deaths rise to 9
CITY OF CALAPAN—The provincial government of Occidental Mindoro had issued a cease and desist order against a dredging company that hired the capsized Chinese-owned MV Hong Hai 16, which remained partially submerged off the coast of Barangay Malawaan in Rizal town.
The order, released on Monday and addressed to Bluemax Tradelink Inc. president Claro Zapata in Pasay City, directed the company to immediately halt all dredging operations and related activities in its assigned area in Lumintao River in Malawaan, pending the outcome of an official investigation.
In the order, Gov. Eduardo Gadiano said the vessel became imbalanced due to its sand load, which led it to capsize some 100 meters off the coast of Barangay Malawaan on April 15.
The governor expressed “deep concern” over the loss of lives in the maritime tragedy.
He added: “The unfortunate incident claimed the lives of several individuals manning the vessel, and to this date, search and rescue operations for those still missing are continuously being conducted by the authorities.”
9 fatalities
As of Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed nine fatalities, with two crew members still unaccounted for. The vessel had 25 crew members on board, a mix of Filipino and Chinese nationals, at the time of the accident.
The PCG said it found no traces of oil spill in the waters surrounding the half-submerged vessel.
Initial reports showed the MV Hong Hai 16 was carrying approximately 2,000 liters of lube oil and 30,000 liters of automotive diesel oil at the time of the incident.
PCG divers continued to conduct underwater recovery operations, retrieving personal items from the vessel’s bridge and second-floor cabin.
Specialized Coast Guard teams said they would continue the search for the remaining missing crew members amid challenging underwater conditions.
