Bulk carrier crew said to be Chinese: Hit and run, 14 Filipino crew missing in Mindoro Strait, Philippines; Coast Guard to conduct search

14 Filipinos missing after fishing boat collides with Chinese ship off Mindoro
JC Gotinga June 29, 2020 https://www.rappler.com/nation/265131-fishermen-missing-boat-collides-ch...

(UPDATED) There are 14 Filipino crew missing after fishing boat Liberty Cinco collides with a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship off Occidental Mindoro

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Fourteen Filipinos went missing in the waters off Cape Calavite, Occidental Mindoro, after their boat collided with a Chinese cargo vessel before dawn on Sunday, June 28, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Southern Tagalog confirmed to Rappler past midnight Monday, June 29.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Arman Balilo later identified the cargo ship as MV Vienna Wood registered in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China.

The Vienna Wood hit the F/V Liberty Cinco at around 1 am on Sunday, and left the badly damaged boat adrift, Fermin Soto, general manager of the boat owner Irma Fishing and Trading, told DZRH radio on Sunday night.

Rappler has reached out to Soto, but he has yet to respond to queries as of this posting.

The company started searching for the boat after it missed its scheduled radio call to port, and failed to pull into the Navotas Fish Port when it was expected at 7 am.

The company ordered its other boats to the vicinity of the Liberty Cinco's last reported location off Cape Calavite in Occidental Mindoro. There, other fishermen told the crew of the Liberty Cinco's sister vessels of the collision, Soto said. They also found tubs and other items from the boat marked "Irma" scattered on the surface of the water.

PH Coast Guard launches search for 14 missing Filipino fishermen
Frances Mangosing - June 29, 2020 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1298949/ph-coast-guard-launches-search-for...

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard on Monday continued search operations for the 14 missing Filipino crew of a fishing boat that collided with a Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel off the coast of Mindoro.

BRP Boracay is currently in the vicinity of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro to conduct the search and rescue operations, PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told reporters Monday.

It also deployed two aerial assets — BN Islander with tail number PCG-684 and Airbus H145 light twin engine helicopter with tail number CGH-1452.

Another PCG vessel is expected to augment the ongoing search operations later in the day.

The cargo vessel MV Vienna Wood, which was bound for Australia, left Subic, Zambales. It collided with Philippine fishing boat Liberty 5 early Sunday near Mamburao.

The captain of the cargo vessel reported the incident, Balilo said. The Philippine boat was on its way to Navotas Fish Port before the collision.

The missing fishermen were workers of the Irma Fishing and Trading Company based in Navotas.

MV Vienna is expected to be brought in to Coast Guard’s Batangas headquarters on Monday.

Bulk carrier hit and run, 12 Filipino crew missing, Philippines
Erofey Schkvarkin June 28, 2020 http://www.maritimebulletin.net/2020/06/28/bulk-carrier-hit-and-run-12-f...

Bulk carrier VIENNA WOOD N is suspect in hit and run in Mindoro Strait, Philippines, in the early hours of Jun 28. Local fishing boat was struck by cargo ship some 15 nm southwest of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro, 12 fishermen went missing, boat later sank. Exact number of fishing boat crew unknown, probably 14 or 15. Cargo ship didn’t stop and sailed away.

Coast Guard figured out VIENNA WOOD N as the main suspect, the ship was ordered to interrupt her voyage from Subic Bay Philippines, to Groote Eylandt island, Australia, and sail to Batangas, Philippines, for investigation. Bulk carrier crew is said to be Chinese. As of 1830 UTC Jun 28, the ship was either drifting or moving dead ahead in northern direction, see track.
Bulk carrier VIENNA WOOD N, IMO 9593713, dwt 55768, built 2011, flag HK, manager AM NOMIKOS TRANSWORLD MARITIME (EQUASIS).