Fire-damaged Philippine Navy ship resumes homeward voyage following repairs in India

A Philippine Navy vessel that had suffered an onboard fire after it departed India earlier this month has resumed its voyage for home waters following the completion of repairs.

On Wednesday, May 27, the patrol ship BRP Ramon Alcaraz (ex-US Coast Guard cutter Dallas) left Cochin Port after repairs were carried out on onboard areas that were damaged by a blaze that had ignited in the engine room.

The navy said the repairs were completed well before the 21-day timeframe that had earlier been estimated by investigators.

The incident, which occurred on May 7, had also left two crewmen with minor burn injuries. Both have fully recovered and have since rejoined the rest of the ship’s company for its journey home.

Ramon Alcaraz and the landing platform dock (LPD) BRP Davao Del Sur, which had sailed together to the Middle East earlier in January, will make a brief stop at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka on Friday, May 29. The two ships have been tasked with repatriating Filipino tourists and labourers who had become stranded in Sri Lanka due to the Covid-19 pandemic.