Two dead, three missing following vessel collision off Corregidor Island, Philippines

Two people are confirmed dead and another three have gone missing after two foreign-flagged vessels collided off Corregidor Island in the Philippines on Friday, April 28.

The incident occurred when the Marshall Islands-flagged product tanker Petite Soeur and the Sierra Leone-registered dredger Hong Hai 189 collided with each other just off Corregidor, which lies at the entrance to Manila Bay.

The dredger subsequently capsized and all 20 of its crew ended up in the water. The tanker’s crew meanwhile suffered no injuries.

Sixteen survivors were later picked up by another dredger that diverted to the area to render assistance. Tragically, one of the rescued crewmen, identified as a Filipino national, died while undergoing treatment in hospital.

The Philippine Coast Guard recovered another body in the same waters on the morning (local time) of Saturday, April 29. This victim has been identified as a Chinese national and a crewmember on Hong Hai 189.

The coast guard said operations will continue in an attempt to locate three of the dredger’s crew who are still missing. Numerous search and rescue assets including vessels and helicopters have since been deployed to comb the waters off Corregidor.

Local authorities will meanwhile conduct a port state control inspection on Petite Soeur to hold and detain the vessel as part of the investigation into the incident.