Ship owner may face criminal raps over Mindoro tragedy
06/10/2007 | 06:44 PM
The owner of the ship that caught fire off Mindoro Island may be slapped with criminal charges, radio dzBB reported on Sunday.
Quoting Admiral Damian Carlos of the Philippine Coast Guard, dzBB said San Nicolas Lines, its owner, identified as Samuel Nicolas, and others who can be found responsible for the sea mishap that claimed the lives of five people, may be charged with "reckless imprudence resulting in possible homicide."
DzBB said the sea mishap was not the first time for the shipping company. In February 2004, a passenger ship of San Nicolas Lines reportedly collided with a Super Ferry ship that resulted in fatalities.
The same report said the Coast Guard's probe of the incident is ongoing. The Maritime Industry Authority is expected to do its own investigation through the Board of Marine Inquiry.
At least five people, one of them a five year-old girl, were killed in the fire that hit passenger ship MV Catalyn-D on Sunday.
Commander Joseph Coyme, spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard, told dZBB that they received reports at about 8 a.m., Sunday, that MV Catalyn-D was on its way to Palawan when tragedy struck.
The ship was en route from Manila to southwestern Palawan province with at least 216 passengers and 21 crewmen on board when the fire broke out, Coyme said, prompting passengers to abandon the ferry.
He said several passing ships rescued passengers, and the coast guard was still in the process of matching names of people recovered with those on the manifest.
So far 128 survivors have been counted, while another passing ship which rescued about a hundred people has not yet submitted its list, Coyme said. - GMANews.TV
Five people were killed today and several more injured when a ferry carrying 260 passengers caught fire off Mindoro island's Paluan Bay in rough seas. One of those killed was a five-year-old girl. The bodies of the deceased were taken to Pasay City. The wooden-hulled ferry was completely destroyed by the fire and sank as a result.

Rear Admiral Damian Carlos of the Philippine Coast Guard told reporters that the fire started in the cargo hold of MV Cataleen-D about 5 a.m. local time (2100 UTC yesterday), and the first distress signal was received by authorities at approximately 8 a.m. He went on to speculate that a cigarette or spontaneous combustion may have caused the blaze.

When the captain realised the firefighters were unable to contain the blaze he steered the vessel towards the Mindoro shoreline.

Most of the passengers and crew jumped into the safety of the sea when they saw that other parts of the ship had been engulfed by flames. The majority of them suffered burns to their faces. The first Coast Guard ship that responded was BRP Pampanga, with local fishing vessels saving around a hundred of those in the water. Carlos said of the Coast Guard, “It was a good thing that the rescuers were on a mission in Corregidor.”

The ship was owned by Manila-based San Nicolas Shipping Lines and captained by Danilo Faeldog. It had departed from Pier 2 at the Manila North Harbor around 7 p.m. Saturday, and was destined for Coron, Palawan.

It is the second disaster to strike San Nicolas Shipping Lines. In 2004 the MV San Nicolas sank after a collision with a WGA Super Ferry vessel. The San Nicolas was carrying 203 passengers, of which 25 were fatally injured.

The Coast Guard has initiated a full investigation into the cause of the disaster. The Maritime Industry Authority is expected to conduct its own investigation via the Board of Marine Inquiry. Carlos said the vessel's owner, identified as Samuel Nicolas, and anyone else found responsible could be charged with "reckless imprudence resulting in possible homicide."