Photo credit: Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog
Two crew members were injured after a fire broke out aboard a motor tanker at Balayan Distillery Inc. Port in Barangay Talisay, Calaca City, Batangas, on Wednesday (Sept. 30).
In a report, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the vessel was carrying molasses and had 22 crew members on board when the fire began.
The blaze, according to PCG, was allegedly started in the vessel’s engine room, but its cause remains under investigation.
Twenty crew members were accounted for and reported safe, while two sustained injuries and were taken to medical facilities for treatment.
One injured crew member was admitted to Metro Lemery Medical Center for further treatment and monitoring. The other, who sustained an inhalational injury, was treated at Metro Calaca Hospital and later opted to be discharged against medical advice.
The response began after the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported the incident.
Personnel from the PCG Coast Guard Sub-Station in Lemery, together with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Calaca City and local tugboats, proceeded to the port and assisted in the firefighting operation.
Additional PCG personnel from Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog, CGSS Balayan, CGSS Batangas City, Coast Guard Medical Station-Southern Tagalog, and the Maritime Safety Investigation Unit were deployed to augment the response, provide medical assistance, and conduct an initial investigation into the incident.
The PCG also sent its 44-meter multi-role response vessel BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403) to augment the operation.
In an update on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard – District Southern Tagalog said the fire on board the tanker was declared “fire out at around 2:45 pm on October 2.”
“The PCG continues to monitor the ongoing recovery operations, including dewatering activities to manage accumulated water in the engine room and maintain the vessel’s stability,” it said.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined and will be subject to further investigation by the concerned authorities.
