14 missing after fishing boat collides with Hong Kong cargo ship off Mindoro

Fourteen people were reported missing after their fishing boat collided with a Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel off the coast of Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Monday.

Among the 14 missing is the fishing boat's captain and two passengers, the PCG said.

The PCG on Monday said its patrol boat BRP Boracay is already in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro for search and rescue operations.

Its Islander plane and Airbus HI45, as well as an additional rescue team from Batangas, will also join the search and rescue operations.

The PCG will also deploy another multi-role response vessel to further intensify search and rescue operations. 

The collision between the fishing boat Liberty 5 and the MV Vienna Wood cargo vessel was reported on Sunday morning by the cargo vessel's captain.

According to PCG spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo, the Hong Kong vessel had no cargo in it. 

The cargo vessel was on the way to Australia from Subic while the fishing boat, which came from Cagayan de Oro and Tawi-Tawi, was on its way to the Navotas Fish Port when they collided.

The PCG is already escorting the cargo vessel to Batangas. —with reports from Anna Felicia Bajo/KG, GMA News