A cargo vessel carrying an estimated 16,000 bags of fertilizer en route to Mindanao was forced to beach off the coast of Siquijor province at around 5 a.m. Sunday when its cargo hold compartment leaked.
Police Officer 1 Guillermo Bahandi, chief of the Coast Guard detachment in Larena, Siquijor, said no one was injured and the M/V Queen of Joy was brought close to the coast of the Coco Grove Resort in San Juan town, as a safety measure and to protect its cargo.
Initial investigation showed that the vessel left Isabela, Leyte Saturday on its way to Dipolog City when crew members discovered leak in one of its compartments at the cargo hold, Bahandi said.
A tug boat was dispatched by the PCG, and the fertilizer bags offloaded to another vessel that departed Monday for Dapitan.
The source of the leak was not yet known. PCG officials advised ship captain Lorenzo Giligani to immediately file a marine protest.
The distressed vessel was expected to depart from Siquijor last night, Bahandi said.*JFP
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