A sand carrier overturned in the central waters of the Philippines, resulting in the death of 1 Chinese crew member, with 10 missing and 14 rescued. The search operation is ongoing.
Divers Prepare for Underwater Cutting for Search and Rescue
According to consolidated media reports, the sand carrier "Hong Hai 16," belonging to the Philippine sand and gravel company "Keen Peak Corp," capsized at 5:20 PM on the 15th in the waters of Rizal town, Occidental Mindoro.
The sand carrier had 25 crew members on board, comprising 13 Filipinos and 12 Chinese nationals. It has been confirmed that 1 Chinese crew member is dead, 6 Filipinos and 8 Chinese have been rescued, and 10 are still awaiting rescue.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported on the 16th that among the 10 missing, there are 7 Filipinos and 3 Chinese. The missing crew members might be trapped in the "upright and partially flooded" engine room. A special operations team is preparing to dive and conduct underwater cutting operations.
The coast guard stated that the sea condition was not severe at the time of the incident. Upon receiving the report, they immediately dispatched speedboats for rescue operations, while also checking for potential oil spill pollution.
The director of Rizal town's "Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office," Soriano, mentioned that no one was aware of the ship's arrival, and everyone was surprised.