DFA working at possible repatriation of 14 distressed Pinoy seamen

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) working at the possible repatriation of the 14 Filipino seafarers rescued from a container vessel that broke into two and sank off Yemen on Monday. According to a “24 Oras” report on Tuesday, 14 Filipinos and 12 Russians were rescued from the 316-meter-long MV MOL Comfort. DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said the initial information reaching Manila indicated the 14 Filipinos will be brought to Sri Lanka following their rescue. “Dadalhin daw [sila] sa Colombo, Sri Lanka at baka i-repatriate,” Hernandez said in an interview on dzBB radio on Wednesday.    For now, however, Hernandez said they are still verifying details of the incident and have yet to receive a full report. The Indian Express news site quoted an Indian Coast Guard official as saying the vessel’s hull “broke into two off the Mumbai coast and the crew members were rescued from the ship in two life rafts and a life boat.” The report added that the breaking of the ship has caused an oil spill. The incident occurred around 200 nautical miles from Yemen or about 840 nautical miles west of Mumbai. The ship was en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia when the accident occurred after coming from Singapore. - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News