HUNDREDS of passengers and crew members were safely evacuated early Thursday morning after a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel ran aground just meters off the coast of Barangay Udalo in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro.
The 779-gross-ton MV RoRo Master 5 was en route from the Port of Batangas to the Port of Abra de Ilog when the vessel hit a shallow area around 12:45 AM, approximately 30 meters from the shoreline.
According to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, initial investigations point to a gyrocompass failure as the cause of the accident, which led the ship to stray off its intended navigational route.
Responding PCG personnel boarded the stranded vessel shortly after the incident, deploying four life rafts and securing a lifeline to the shoreline to assist everyone on board.
By 6:00 AM, all passengers were safely transferred to the Port of Abra de Ilog with support from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and vessel operator Orange Navigation Inc.
No injuries were immediately reported.
Coast Guard assessors confirmed that the vessel grounded on a rocky seabed outside of any marine protected areas.
Inspecting teams reported no hull breaches, water ingress, or signs of an oil spill in the surrounding area.
Orange Navigation Inc. has dispatched a tugboat from Cedar Company to help refloat the stranded vessel.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog and Coast Guard Station Batangas have deployed additional floating assets to assist with ongoing recovery operations.
The PCG is completing its verification process to confirm the exact numbers of passengers, crew members, and rolling cargo on board, with official figures expected to be released following the conclusion of the investigation.
