DFA: 2 Pinoy sailors in sunken ship dead, 1 rescued, 16 others missing

One of the 19 Filipino crew members of the cargo ship that sank off Vietnam last Friday has been rescued, two have been confirmed dead, while 16 others are still missing, an official of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Sunday.

In a statement, DFA spokesman Charles Jose said, "Our Embassy in Hanoi received yesterday (Saturday) a note verbale from Viet Nam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs that officially confirmed the sinking of cargo vessel Bulk Jupiter on 02 January 2015. So far, one crew member, reported to be the Chief Cook, has been rescued while two bodies have been recovered."

A report on Saturday indicated that the Bahaman ship Bulk Jupiter with all-Filipino crew members sank on Friday in the East Vietnam Sea, some 150 nautical miles off southern Vung Tau City.

Jose said, "Vietnamese authorities are leading the rescue operations, with the participation of vessels from Liberia, Oman, Singapore and China."

Moreover he said, "The search for the 16 other crew members continues. We understand that the manning agency has been communicating with the families of the crew members and with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)."

"The Embassy is coordinating with the  Vietnam Maritime Research and Rescue Coordinating Center (MRCC) and the Philippine Honorary Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, which is approximately 96 kms from Vung Tau City, in gathering updates and making arrangements for the repatriation of the rescued seafarer and the retrieved remains," Jose added.

News site Tuoitrenews.com on Saturday reported that the vessel sank for "unknown reasons" with all the 19 Filipino crew members aboard during the incident.

An earlier report indicated the seafarers sent emergency signals at 11:30 a.m. on January 2.

Also, it said the ill-fated ship was carrying 46,400 tons of iron ores from Malaysia to China during the accident.

According to the vice president and head of shipping of Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, the management company of the Filipino seafarers, reports on the sinking have already been filed with the POEA and the DOLE. — with a report from Michaela del Callar/LBG, GMA News