Philippines to Deploy Subsea ROV to Pinpoint Location of Stricken Tanker
Philippine authorities believe they have found the location of a tanker that sank off a central province last week, the environment ministry said on Monday, amid a race to assess the extent of an oil spill and contain further environmental damage.The tanker, the MT Princess Empress, is thought to be lying at about 1,200 feet (366 meters) below sea level, off Oriental Mindoro province, though the information still needed to be verified, the ministry said in a statement.A remotely operated vehicle would be deployed to help determine the exact location of the tanker…
Philippine Tugboat Owner Plugs in to Relief Effort
Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc. has loaned one of its barges to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to help transport relief goods and emergency tools to Tacloban City in Leyte and other sites massively ravaged by the super-typhoon, reports the nations's 'BusinessMirror'. The company’s board of directors approved the availability of its 300-footer Barge Lynx for free offer to the PCG to use in its relief operations in areas badly hit by Supertypoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan).
Chinese Ship Disabled North of Tubbataha Reef
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reports another foreign vessel in trouble off Palawan, to be taken in tow. The Chinese cargo ship M/V Tai An Hai reported engine trouble and was drifting late some 96 kilometers south of Tubbataha Reef, reports The Philippine Star. The M/V Tai An Hai was on passage from Singapore to Tagbilaran, Bohol to deliver 5,900 tons of limestone when the ship's main engines shut down. Initial reports from the area indicated rough sea conditions had hammered the vessel and the ship's captain was worried that the ship would run aground in shallow waters. The Coast Guard’s BRP Pampanga was deployed to render assistance to the Chinese vessel, and an ocean-going tugboat, the Harbor Star is also on its way to assist. Source: The Philippine Star
