2 Filipinos dead after cargo ship capsizes close to Scarborough Shoal

MANILA, Philippines — At least two Filipinos were confirmed dead following a search and rescue operation for the 21 all-Filipino crew of the Singaporean-flagged MV Devon Bay, the Chinese embassy in Manila confirmed Friday, January 23.

The vessel, which was loaded with iron ore, had reportedly capsized some 55 nautical miles off the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

One of the crew members “remains under emergency medical treatyment” while 14 others are in stable condition after they were rescued by China Coast Guard (CCG) ships that were responding to a report from the Maritime Search and Rescue Center of Sansha City.

Four remain missing as both the Philippines and China deployed additional personnel to boost search and rescue operations. 

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) could not confirm the deaths separately but said that as of 2:25 pm on January 22, K-Line Roro Bulk Ship Management Company, Limited, the operator of the MV Devon Bay, confirmed that 17 individuals were rescued by the CCG.

The Chinese military said 17 crew members were rescued and two of them later died, after a report around 1:30 am. on Friday (1730 GMT on Thursday) that a foreign cargo vessel had capsized in waters near the shoal. It dispatched aircraft to conduct searches and the Chinese Coast Guard sent two vessels for rescue efforts.

The PCG said it deployed two vessels and two aircraft to rescue the Philippine crew from a Singaporean-flagged cargo vessel loaded with iron ore that was en route to southern Chinese city of Yangjiang.

“The PCG Command Center acquired information from the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre that 10 of the 21 Filipino crew members were rescued by a passing China Coast Guard vessel,” it said.

Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia’s most contested maritime features and a frequent flashpoint in disputes over sovereignty and fishing rights.

On Tuesday, the Chinese military said it organized naval and air force units to drive away a Philippine government aircraft that it accused of “illegally intruding” into airspace over the atoll.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. – With reports from Reuters/Rappler.com