Ship collision off Cebu City – ferry sunk

Yesterday evening around 8:45 p.m. a passenger ferry and a cargo vessel collided in the waters off Talisay City, Cebu.

The 2Go passenger ferry  M/V Saint Thomas Aquinas was hit by the Sulpicio-Express Siete cargo vessel. The collision happened in the waters off Talisay City (arrow).

The M/V Saint Thomas Aquinas came from Butuan and was scheduled to dock at Cebu port at 9 p.m. As usual in the Philippines the number of passengers and crew are not clearly determined. Numbers variate from 692 crew and passengers on board up to 841 people on board consisting of 723 passengers and 118 crew.

The ferry sunk within 15 minutes after the collision. Until now 24 corpses were brought to shore.

The Sulpicio Express Siete now registered for Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation (PSACC).
PSACC (former Sulpicio Lines) have a sad record in the Philippines:

Maritime disasters involving PSACC include MV Doña Paz on December 20, 1987, MV Doña Marilyn in 1988, MV Princess of the Orient on September 18, 1998, and MV Princess of the Stars on June 21, 2008 and now M/V Saint Thomas Aquinas.