MV St. Thomas Aquinas
History
Japan
NameFerry Sumiyoshi
OwnerMeimon Car Ferry K.K.
OperatorMeimon Car Ferry K.K.
Port of registryKitakyushu, Japan
RouteOsaka – Shin-moji, Kitakyushu
Ordered1 January 1972[1]
BuilderOnomichi Dockyard Co, Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan
Yard number239
Launched19 December 1972
Completed1973
In serviceMarch 1973
Out of service1992
IdentificationIMO number: 7304663[2]
FateSold to Aboitiz Shipping Corporation
Philippines
Name
  • 1992–1996: Aboitiz SuperFerry 2
  • 1996–2012: SuperFerry 2
  • 2012–2013: St. Thomas Aquinas
Owner
Operator
Port of registryManila, Philippines
RouteManila – Cebu – Iligan – Butuan – Nasipit (2013)
Maiden voyage1992
Out of service16 August 2013
FateSank following collision with MV Sulpicio Express Siete
General characteristics [1]
TypeROPAX Ferry
Tonnage
Length138.61 m (455 ft)
Beam22.15 m (72.7 ft)
Draft5.80 m (19.0 ft)
Ramps1 ramp (stern-port side)
Installed power2x 14 cyl. MAN-Mitsubishi diesel marine engines (2 × 5,670 kW)
PropulsionTwo shafts; fixed pitch propellers
Speed19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Capacity
  • 1972: 900 passengers
  • 1992: 2,643 passengers
  • 2003: 904 passengers

MV St. Thomas Aquinas was a Philippine-registered passenger ferry operated by 2GO Travel. On 16 August 2013, the vessel collided with a cargo ship named MV Sulpicio Express Siete of Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation (formerly Sulpicio Lines) and sank.[3] As of 3 September 2013, there were 108 dead and 29 missing with 733 rescued as a result of the accident.[4]

Service history

Ferry Hakozaki, the sister ship of MV St. Thomas Aquinas. This vessel was also sold to the Philippines and was renamed as MV SuperFerry 5 and later MV St. Joan of Arc.

The ferry was named after the Catholic Saint Thomas Aquinas.[5][6] The ROPAX ferry measured 455-foot (139 m) long and had a gross tonnage of 11,405 tons. The ferry was capable of transporting both passengers and wheeled cargo such as vehicles over a large body of water.[3][7]

It was launched and originally operated in 1973 by Meimon Car Ferry (later as Meimon Taiyo Ferry) (Japanese: 名門大洋フェリー, romanized: Meimon Taiyō Ferī) as Ferry Sumiyoshi (Japanese: フェリーすみよし). It was later sold to Aboitiz Transport System (ATS) in the early 1990s for their SuperFerry line. She was renamed as M/V SuperFerry 2. The ferry was renamed the M/V St. Thomas Aquinas as a result of the ATS and Negros Navigation merger.[8] The ship and her sister-ship M/V St. Joan of Arc (ex-Superferry 5/Ferry Hakozaki) were around 40 years old at the time of the sinking, making her one of the longest-serving Philippine-based passenger ships.

Sinking

MV Sulpicio Express Siete, the other vessel that was involved in the collision.

Collision

On Friday, 16 August 2013, St. Thomas Aquinas departed from Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. At approximately 21:00 PHT (13:00 UTC), it was heading into the port at Cebu City via the Cebu Strait when it collided with the MV Sulpicio Express Siete (IMO 7724344), a cargo ship owned by the Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation that was leaving port, approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from Talisay, Cebu.[7]

St. Thomas Aquinas immediately began to take on water, prompting the captain to order an "Abandon Ship" announcement.[3] The crew hurriedly handed out life jackets as hundreds of passengers jumped overboard. Within 30 minutes, the ship sank.[7]

At the time of the collision, St. Thomas Aquinas was carrying 715 passengers (58 were infants) and 116 crew members. Many passengers were asleep at the time or otherwise had trouble finding their way to the deck in the dark.[8] A spokesperson for 2Go said there was a high probability that some passengers were in the area of impact and were trapped by the damage.[9] The Sulpicio Express Siete, which did not sink, had 36 crew members on board[7] and was severely damaged at the bow in the accident.[3]

Local fishermen saw several flares–a sign of distress–being launched from St. Thomas Aquinas and helped with initial rescue efforts. "We just picked up the survivors and left the dead in the water," said a rescuer. "I heard screams and crying."[3] The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) conducted rescue efforts. Rescued passengers were taken to local hotels.[9]

Casualties

On Saturday, 17 August 2013, divers began the process of recovering bodies from the ship, which lay in 30 metres of water, but suspended operations later in the day due to safety concerns. 31 people were confirmed dead with 172 others missing as of midday, when rescue operations were suspended due to rough seas.[9] By 18 August, there were 35 confirmed deaths and 85 others missing as a result of the accident.[10] On 19 August, the Coast Guard confirmed 55 dead and 65 missing with 750 rescued.[11] Rescue and recovery efforts were hampered by bad weather.[12]

Many of the survivors were sickened after swallowing seawater and oil believed to have leaked from St. Thomas Aquinas.[8]

Cause

In a statement, 2Go said St. Thomas Aquinas "was reportedly hit" by Sulpicio Line's cargo vessel,[3] but at the same time refused to directly blame the cargo vessel. 2Go said the Port of Cebu is unusually narrow and that special traffic control measures were in use to try to avoid accidents at the port.[9]

Maritime accidents in the Philippines are common due to a combination of bad weather, poor maintenance, and lax enforcement of safety regulations.[7] The Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation (operator of Sulpicio Lines) has been involved in five maritime disasters, most notably the 1987 sinking of the ferry Doña Paz that resulted in an estimated 4,000+ deaths.[13]

Official investigation

A Special Board of Marine Inquiry was opened on 23 August in Cebu City, led by Commodore Gilbert Rueras of the Philippine Coast Guard.[14] The captains of the MV St Thomas Aquinas and the Sulpicio Express Siete testified, as did Captain Galipher Ian Faller, captain of a Trans-Asia Shipping Lines cargo ship in the area, the Trans Asia Nine.[14] Captain Galipher of the Trans Asia Nine testified that the Sulpicio Line Siete was in the inbound lane instead of the outbound lane.[14]

Long-term implications

Oil and fuel are leaking from the shipwreck.[15] The ferry was carrying 120,000 litres (31,701 US gal) of bunker fuel, 20,000 litres (5,283 US gal) of diesel fuel, and 20,000 litres (5,283 US gal) of lube oil.[15] Owner 2Go used spill-containment equipment in the area, but local fishing was affected.[15] The spilled petroleum is expected to contaminate local beaches and mangrove swamps, further damaging Cebu's ecosystem and economy.[15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "St. Thomas Aquinas (7229869)". ABS Record. American Bureau of Shipping. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "St. Thomas of Aquinas (7304663)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "At least 28 dead, more than 200 missing after ferry sinks in Philippines". Fox News. AP. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "Ferry sinking death toll at 108; 29 missing". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "At Least 17 Dead After Ferry Collides with Cargo Ship in Philippines". World Maritime News. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "St. Thomas Aquinas (7304663)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Philippines ferry Thomas Aquinas sinks at Cebu". BBC. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 "Philippines ferry Thomas Aquinas sinks, many missing". BBC. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Cebu sea mishap death toll rises to 31; 172 still missing". The Philippine Star. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Quiano, Kathy; Hackney, Deanna (18 August 2013). "34 dead, 85 unaccounted for after Philippines boat collision". CNN.
  11. ↑ Mullen, Jethro (19 August 2013). "Death toll hits 55 in Philippines ferry disaster". CNN. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  12. ↑ "Philippines ferry crash death toll rises". BBC. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  13. ↑ Agence France-Presse (18 August 2013). "Ferry disaster is 5th tragedy for Philippine firm". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 Mayol, Ador Vincent and Joy Cherry Quito (24 August 2013). "3 captains testify on Lawis Ledge collision". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Quiano, Kathy; Mullen, Jethro (20 August 2013). "Oil spill from sunken ferry in Philippines hurts coastline, fishermen". CNN.
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