AT least 250 passengers and 37 crew of MV Filipinas Butuan were safely brought shortly before noon on Monday, Oct. 23, to Madridejos on Bantayan Island after several hours of being stranded at sea.
“(As of 11 a. m.), all passengers were safely transferred to Kota Park in Madridejos with no untoward incident, said Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cebu Commander Mark Larsen Mariano in a chat message.
Mariano said all the rescued passengers would later be brought to Iloilo City via PCG vessels BRP Cape San Agustin and BRP Malamawi.
The two ships are on the way to Madridejos on Bantayan Island as of this morning.
MV Filipinas Butuan ran aground at 5:51 a.m. on Monday near the shallow waters off Madridejos town while it was cruising along the waters off Barangay Kaongkod.
“(The) said vessel was avoiding a fish cage causing it to be drifted at the shallow waters and eventually ran aground,” the PCG said.
MV Filipinas Butuan is owned and operated by Cebu-based Cokaliong Shipping Lines.
PCG stations in Madridejos, Bantayan, and Santa Fe along with Bantay Dagat personnel immediately conducted rescue operations for the stranded passengers and ship crew members.
Three motor bancas and bantay dagat service boats were used in the transfer of passengers and crew to shore.
Other Coast Guard stations in Northern Cebu were also alerted to help out in the operations and render necessary assistance.
Of the 250 passengers, two are infants and six are children.
