A Ro-Pax ferry carrying over 100 passengers and freight ran aground just off Occidental Mindoro province in the Philippines in the early morning (local time) of Thursday, September 17.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the 779GT Roromaster 5 was travelling from the Port of Batangas just south of Manila to the Port of Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro when she ran aground on a rocky area 30 metres from shore while approaching her final destination.
The coast guard immediately deployed personnel to the area to aid the ferry's crew in evacuating the passengers.
Cayabyab said four liferafts and a lifeline secured at the shoreline were used to safely transfer passengers off the grounded ferry.
All 114 of Roromaster 5's passengers were brought to the Port of Abra de Ilog by 06:00.
No serious injuries were reported, and the coast guard said it detected no oil spills or water ingress resulting from the grounding.
Cayabyab said an initial investigation revealed that the vessel experienced a gyrocompass failure while underway, causing her to deviate from her intended course and run aground short of her destination.
Orange Navigation, the operator of Roromaster 5, said that a tug has been contracted to assist in the refloating effort and to tow the stranded ferry to deeper waters.
Thursday's incident is the second ferry grounding to occur off Occidental Mindoro this year following the April 5 grounding of Our Lady of Fatima 03. The earlier incident did not result in any injuries or pollution.
