Body found near burned cargo ship

by Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star), 15 Jun 2021

MANILA, Philippines — A body was fished out of Manila Bay yesterday by divers of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) near the cargo vessel that caught fire at the Delpan Wharf in Tondo over the weekend.

PCG spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said the body was found near the burned M/V Titan 8.

“We are still confirming if the body was that of the missing crewmember of the ship,” Balilo said.

The Bureau of Fire Protection will coordinate with the Philippine National Police to conduct an autopsy to identify the remains, Balilo added.

The PCG earlier reported that Juan Edmund Palanca, a crewmember of M/V Titan 8, went missing after the incident.

The PCG is also waiting for the results of the water samples taken from the site of the incident to check if the water was contaminated with fuel.

Balilo said the PCG has laid out six spill booms around the damaged ship to prevent an oil leak.

The Coast Guard also activated its maritime casualty investigation unit to gather facts, identify the cargo onboard and determine the cause of the fire.

Reports said M/V Titan 8 caught fire while refueling on Saturday. The ship was headed to Palawan.

At least 40 houses near the Delpan Bridge were razed by the fire after drums of gasoline exploded, the PCG said.