By Jim Lloyd Dongiapon
A cargo ship caught fire off the waters of Zone 2, Barangay Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City, past 12:00 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, February 2.
According to preliminary information, the ship is owned by Quality Agri Supply and originated in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.
Prior to catching fire, it had just finished unloading sand and gravel there.
The crew of the ship reported that the engine was already faulty and that their ship was supposedly on its way to be repaired.
Additionally, they claimed that while they were welding inside the ship, the engine began to smoke and then caught fire.
They attempted to put out the fire by throwing water at it, but the flames grew larger, prompting them to jump into the sea.
The Philippine Coast Guard rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire and save the cargo ship’s crew.
Later, it was learned that the ship’s captain was not present because he was at a relative’s birthday party at the time of the incident.
It’s also uncertain whether he is accountable for the incident.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the incident is still ongoing as of this writing.