A tugboat caught fire off Batangas City on Wednesday afternoon, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Thursday.
No one was hurt in the incident as crew members of the ill-fated M/Tug Sunjin 505 evacuated before the fire escalated.
The PCG said the vessel caught fire at 2:50 p.m. in the waters off Barangay Sta. Rita Aplaya in Batangas. The fire was put out at 4:40 p.m., the PCG added.
It said the vessel’s oiler was replacing the rubber impeller of the tugboat’s auxiliary engine when he noticed a fire on the wiring.
“He promptly informed the other crew members and proceeded to shut down all machinery,” the PCG said.
“The crew then attempted to extinguish the fire using CO₂ (Carbon dioxide) fire extinguishers. However, due to the rapid build-up of thick smoke, the crew’s efforts to control it were unsuccessful,” the PCG added.
The Coast Guard Station Batangas promptly deployed a response team to the area, along with personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection-Sta. Rita, to extinguish the fire.
Tugboats near the area also provided assistance to suppress the fire, the PCG said.
“All crew members were reported safe and required no medical attention. Prior to the escalation of the fire, the crew had already evacuated the vessel as a precautionary measure,” the PCG said.
It added that there was no indication of an oil spill or leakage from the tugboat.
The PCG said it will conduct a thorough investigation “to determine the root cause of the incident and recommend appropriate safety measures.”
