Two were recovered dead from the sea, one was an elderly woman without a life vest, while 55 others were rescued, some in life rafts. Raffy Alejandro of Bicol’s Office of Civil Defense quoted the ship’s captain as saying that a bus on board the RORO had come loose from its moorings and caused the boat to lose its balance, tilt, and then sink. The ship’s water pump reportedly did not work as seawater filled the boat.
The Philippine Coast Guard said the MV Lady of Mount Carmel sank off Burias Island at about 5 a.m., some three hours after leaving Pio Duran town in Albay province, radio dzBB reported.
In an interview on "News To Go," GMA News’ Jener Magbojos Jr said 55 people were rescued as of 10 a.m., including the skipper who was rescued earlier.
"Yung RORO ’di makita, lumubog talaga," Coast Guard Seaman First Class John Michael Mandane said in an earlier interview on dzBB radio.
He said there were 22 crew members and 40 passengers on the ship’s manifest.
In a later interview on dzBB, Dr. Hernando Dorongon of the Masbate Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council cited initial reports saying another fatality was recovered but was not immediately identified.
"May isang na-recover na patay, hindi namin ma-identify," he said.
This was hours after Mandane reported an old woman was found dead in the sea.
"Nakalutang po siya, wala po siyang life jacket. Bale nalunod siya. Nabagok yung ulo niya. Bumubula pa yung bunganga dahil sa tindi ng impact nang pagkapalo sa kanya sa ulo [noong lumubog yung barko],” Mandane said of the first reported fatality.
The first fatality was identified as 50-year-old Carlotta Senga in a report by GMA News Stringer Michael Jaucian on "News to Go."
A separate report on dzRH radio said the RORO vessel was carrying two trucks and two buses at the time it sank.
The RORO vessel’s captain was one of those rescued. Asked if the sea was rough during the incident, he said: "Hindi naman (the weather was not inclement)."
Meanwhile, dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported the Coast Guard was readying a helicopter to conduct an aerial search for survivors. The Coast Guard is also checking for a possible oil spill in the area.
Loss of balance
Also in an interview on "News To Go" with Howie Severino, the Director of the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol said a loss of balance may have been the cause of the sinking of the RORO.
“Isa ’yun sa posibleng cause,” Rafael Alejandro IV said, quoting the ship captain that one of the buses became unattached in the cargo hold and veered to one side, causing the ship to tilt.
He also said the ship was not overloaded, with only over 50 passengers aboard.
But Max Culiapsy, owner and general manager of Medallion Transport, the firm that owned the ill-fated ship, said everyone should wait for official findings before jumping to conclusions.
Culiapsy also told Severino that the theory that an unanchored bus caused the ship to tilt and sink was unlikely.
He said all the cargo in the ship was secured, including the buses.
However, Culiapsy agreed with the captain’s statement discounting bad weather conditions as the cause of the accident.
As of this posting, rescued passengers were taken to a clinic and have been provided food, clothing and medication. A child was also rushed to a hospital in Masbate for possible pneumonia.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard said the Board of Marine Inquiry will look into the circumstances that led to the sinking, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported. — with a report from Andrei Medina , GMA News