Chinese Ship Hits Filipino Fishing Boat, Leaves 5 Crew Members Struggling in Water

Crew members of a fishing boat were saved by the Philippine Coast Guard after their vessel was struck by a Chinese ship, and they were left adrift for almost a day, per reports.

Video Credits: CNN Philippines

The accident in which a moving vessel hit a stationary one happened at 4:00 pm on Tuesday in waters off Palayan City, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, per the statement of the Coast Guard.

The fishing boat FBCA Ruel J was attached to a payao fish aggregating device when it was hit by the Chinese MV Tai Hang 8, which then continued on its way.

The Coast Guard was informed about the fishing boat at Wednesday noon. The rescue began, and all 5 crew members were in good condition, per the statement. The stranded fishing boat was brought to the coast by three fishing vessels.

Spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Armand Balilio, said to local media that it remains unclear whether the accident was intentional or not. He added that crew members should be cautious and appoint lookouts to avoid such accidents, and the Chinese Ship should have taken the fishing boat’s crew members onboard, per the laws of the sea.

The Coast Guard urged the owner of the boat and its captain to file a complaint, and talks regarding the accident and compensation to the victims have started with the Chinese authorities.

This accident comes amidst soaring tensions between Beijing and Manila over disputes in the South China Sea and the standoffs, almost collisions and incidents of near misses between the naval ships of the two nations.

The accident that happened on Tuesday is similar to the one in October in which a fishing boat moored off the northwestern Philippines coast was hit by an oil tanker, leading to the death of the boat’s captain and the 2 members of the crew.

References: Newsweek, Maharlika

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