VIDEO: Ferry runs aground in the Philippines after helmsman ‘falls asleep’
Filipinas Cebu (Screenshot courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard)
A ferry carrying 261 passengers and crew ran around in Iloilo, the Philippines, on Tuesday (9 August 22), after the helmsman fell asleep, according to the Philippine Coastguard.
The roll-on/roll-off vessel MV Filipinas Cebu — reportedly operated by Cokaliong Shipping Lines — ran agound at midnight on Tuesday, in the waters between Igbon Island and Agho Island in Concepcion, Iloilo.
It had departed from Port San Pedro Pier in Iloilo City and was en route for Tinago Port in Cebu City when the incident happened.
Its sister vessel, MV Filipinas Cebu, was dispatched to successfully transport all 223 passengers to Cebu City. The 38 crew members onboard were deemed safe, with no injuries reported.
In a statement, the Coastguard said the helmsman fell asleep while sailing, citing an account from the ship’s captain, 57-year-old Alexander Wahing.
“According to MV Filipinas Cebu’s master (captain), the helmsman fell asleep while underway, causing the vessel to run aground,” the account said.
The helmsman has not been identified.
Earlier this year, seven people were reported dead and a further 120 rescued, after a fire ripped through a passenger ferry in the Philippines.
