Coast Guard: Drifting cargo ship damages 21 houses in Zamboanga

At least 21 houses in Zamboanga City were damaged after a steel-hulled cargo ship drifted and hit a coastal area in Barangay Mariki in Zamboanga City Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard said Tuesday.

 

In a report posted on its website Tuesday evening, the Coast Guard said the incident involved the 362.36-ton LCT Tanag Tawi-Tawi skippered by Captain Dario Ponce.

 

"Fortunately, neither injury nor casualties were reported. The owner of the said vessel, Gov. Sadikul Sahali of the Provincial Government of Tawi-Tawi, is willing to pay the said damages," the Coast Guard said.

 

Most of the damaged houses were made of light materials and were located at the seaside area of coastal Barangay Mariki in Zamboanga City, the Coast Guard said.

 

The Coast Guard said the vessel's captain requested their shipping company for a tugboat to pull the vessel from the site.

 

At about 5 p.m. Monday, the Zamboanga Pilot Tugboat and a tugboat of Varadero De Cawit arrived at the area but had to delay the operation due to low tide.

 

Citing initial information, the Cosat Guard said that while the LCT Tanah Tawi-Tawi was docked at Mendiva Private Wharf at Rio Hondo in Zamboanga City, its mooring lines were "forcibly" cut.

 

The captain tried to maneuver the vessel to safety but strong winds and big waves forced the vessel to drift toward the residential area near the seaside.

 

The Coast Guard in Zamboanga advised the master of the vessel to file a marine protest to air its side on the incident. — ELR, GMA News