11 Missing After Panama-Flagged Ship Sinks off Philippines

November 30, 2015

Eight people have been rescued and eleven are still missing from the ill-fated Panama-flagged M/V Fortune Life that sank some 130 nautical miles West of Vigan City, the Philippines on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard informed.

As reported by the Coast Guard, the rescue was conducted by the M/T Ashley Lady.

The Coast Guard Action Center (CGAC) received a report from China MRCC at 11:20 am November 27 saying that they had received a distress alert from M/V Fortune Life which was reportedly sinking.

Having received the report, CGAC alerted its Coast Guard District North Western Luzon and a search and rescue operation was launched.

CGAC said that it was cooperating with Taiwan and China MRCC on the search and rescue efforts.

M/V Fortune Life, with call sign 3XFK7, was loaded with 7,500 metric tons of fledspar and had 19 crewmembers onboard. The vessel departed Kaohsiung, Taiwan and was bound for Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

The 1991-built ship is owned and managed by Chinese company Xingguang International Marine Management. It features 110 in length overall, 4,852 in gross tonnage, and 8,036 in DWT.