FIVE Filipino crew members were among those killed when a Chinese fishing vessel capsized in central Indian Ocean last week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Wednesday, quoting a Chinese official.
“The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) expresses sincere condolences to the bereaved families of the 39 crew members, five of whom were Filipinos, on board a Chinese fishing vessel that capsized in the Indian Ocean last week, as reported by China’s Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng,” the PCG said in a statement.
Based on the results of the initial government probe, there were no survivors after a fishing vessel carrying 39 crew members from China, Indonesia and the Philippines capsized last week in the Indian Ocean.
“From an analysis of the ship’s capsizing… it is preliminarily judged that there are no survivors from the ship,” Beijing’s transport ministry said in an official social media post.
The Chinese vessel overturned on May 16, carrying 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and five Filipinos.
PCG condoles with bereaved families
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) expresses sincere condolences to the bereaved families of those who perished on board a Chinese fishing vessel that capsized in the Indian Ocean last week, as China’s Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng reported.
“We are saddened by this development. Since day one, we have been monitoring and coordinating with the Australian Maritime Rescue Center and the Chinese Embassy as to the progress of the search and rescue (SAR) operations,” PCG Spokesperson, CG Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said.
Meanwhile, on behalf of PCG Commandant, CG Admiral Artemio M Abu, Coast Guard Officer-in-Charge, CG Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor Punzalan Jr also recognized the sacrifices of the Australian and Chinese SAR teams that conducted an extensive area of operations in the Indian Ocean.
“We thank the Australian and Chinese SAR teams for their efforts, as we understood the risks they faced while scouring the vast waters amid unpredictable weather conditions,” CG Vice Admiral Punzalan expressed.
