25 injured after vessel collision in Cebu – PCG

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 22) – Twenty-five passengers suffered minor injuries after a vessel collision in the vicinity waters off Mandaue City, Cebu on Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard reported.

In an incident report on Monday, the PCG said the fast craft MV St. Jhudiel experienced steering casualty and engine failure during its course, causing the ship to collide with a cargo vessel LCT Poseidon 23.

MV St. Jhudiel departed from Ormoc City, Leyte and was supposedly bound for Cebu City.

The agency said it has provided a floating asset, land vehicle, and an ambulance to respond to the incident. Coast Guard Marine Environmental Protection Force - Central Visayas was also sent to conduct an oil spill assessment.

Meanwhile, the owner of the SuperCat Fast Ferry Corp. apologized for the harm and inconvenience caused by the collision involving their ship MV St. Jhudiel.

"Our primary concern now is to ensure that all those who sustained injuries are properly cared for," the statement read. “Additional safety measures and appropriate actions shall be undertaken to avoid recurrence of this unfortunate incident.”

SuperCat Fast Ferry Corp. said the collision happened around 2:44 p.m. on Sunday. MV St. Jhudiel was immediately assisted by a tugboat to Cebu Pier 1 where it safely disembarked all 208 passengers and crew, it added.

The company added that all injured passengers are brought to the nearest hospital and they are currently conducting a thorough investigation on the incident.