PCG to probe reported explosion, passenger evacuation on Mercraft 2

A supposed explosion on the M/V Mercraft 2 and the passengers' panicked jumping into the water instead of an orderly evacuation will be part of the authorities' investigation into the deadly blaze on the vessel just before it reached the port of Real in Quezon province on Monday.

According to Chino Gaston’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Regional Office IV Director Manny Carpio said that the vessel's officers should have observed proper procedures to evacuate the passengers.

“Kung sana hindi ganoon ang biglaang sunog at biglang laki ng apoy [If the fire, and the size of the blaze, had not been that sudden], there should always be a procedure wherein emergency response from the officers on board to evacuate all these passengers,” he said.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) wants to investigate all the angles to determine the cause of the fire.

Balilo said that MARINA will also conduct a parallel investigation.

He added that PCG will look into all physical evidence to determine the cause of the fire and also check if hazardous materials were present.

At least seven people died when the Mercraft 2, which followed a Polillo-Real-Polillo travel route, caught fire off the coast of Quezon.

Balilo said that 24 persons were injured and three of them are in critical condition.

There were 134 persons onboard the fast craft, of whom 126 were passengers and eight were crew members.

All the crew members survived, Balilo said.

Nine of those who sustained burns and injuries were taken to the East Avenue Medical center where they are being treated by the hospital’s burn unit.

Dr. Jacob Gumboc of East Avenue Medical Center said that the burned patients have their own ward because they have a very high risk of getting an infection.

“Five of them received minor burns lang naman… three of them received inhalation injury and one with 18% of burn. So, most of them, we admitted for observation,” Gumboc said. — Mel Matthew Doctor/BM, GMA News