Landing craft LCT Cebu Great Ocean ran aground off the southern Philippine province of Surigao del Norte, the Philippines Coastguard has said.
The vessel was carrying 20 crew members – all of whom are missing – plus nickel ore, and around 2,000 litres of diesel.
The weather was rough in the area due to Typhoon Surigae, which brought winds that reached 195 km/h, affecting many parts of the eastern Philippines.
All 20 crew went missing. It was thought likely that they abandoned the ship in a boat or life raft. However, any search and rescue was being hampered by a continuing storm.
The Philippines coastguard said that the crew of LCT Cebu Great Ocean were “nowhere to be found and allegedly missing” when the ship drifted and became grounded on the shore of Cantapoy in Malimono in Surigao del Norte on Monday afternoon, April 19th.
Search and rescue operations for the crew resumed on Tuesday morning after a temporary suspension due to poor visibility and rough seas.
Also, container ship Ghana (IMO 9766487) on April 18th landed onto breakwater at Catbalogan, Samar island, Philippines, when typhoon Surigae hit eastern Philippines islands. The ship’s AIS appears to have been off for more than a year. The ship could have been at anchor, probably unmanned.
2014-built, Philippines-flagged, 1,720 gt Ghana is listed as owned and managed by Seaview Cargo Shipping Corp of Manila, Philippines.
Video of the Ghana hitting land at: