ON FIRE. The MV Esperanza Star as it catches fire on Sunday morning (June 18, 2023) while sailing a few kilometers off the Tagbilaran City Port in Bohol province. Tagbilaran City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Anthony Damalerio said all passengers and crew are accounted for and taken care of by the shipping company. (Photo courtesy of Ted Aying)
CEBU CITY – A Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) vessel caught fire while sailing a few kilometers away from the Tagbilaran City port in Bohol province Sunday morning.
Anthony Damalerio, head of the Tagbilaran City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), said fisherfolk from Tagbilaran and Panglao and the crew of another passenger vessel rescued all passengers and crew on board MV Esperanza Star, owned by Kho Shipping Lines Inc. (KSL).
The ill-fated vessel traveled from Iligan City and left Siquijor Saturday night.
It was expected to dock at the Tagbilaran port at 4 a.m. on Sunday.
But it sent a distress call when a fire erupted outside the engine room while traversing Doljo Point near Panglao Island, Damalerio added.
“No one was missing. No one was injured. All passengers and crew are accounted for,” he told reporters.
An earlier report said the vessel was carrying 61 passengers, but Damalerio said there were 72 passengers and 61 crew members rescued.
He said the shipping company provided water, clothes, and slippers at the Tagbilaran port terminal.
In a statement posted on its official social media page, KSL thanked Bohol coast guard, TransAsia 19 personnel, and fisherfolk “for instantly responding to the distress call” when their ship caught fire.
“All crew and passengers were immediately rescued to safety, being taken care of and all accounted for,” it said.
Accordingly, KSL’s RoRo vessel was serving the Cebu City-Tagbilaran City-Lazi, Siquijor-Iligan City route.
The statement said functional fire suppression systems installed at the vessel, such as CO2, fire hydrants, sprinkling systems and others, were immediately activated to put off the fire and avert further damage to the vessel.
The company said it will replace the vessel this week with MV Cataingan so as not to hamper the flow and continue serving passengers and cargoes plying the route. (PNA)
