Sulu: Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and partner agencies rescued 63 people from a motorboat drifting at sea off Sulu on Monday night, authorities reported Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the vessel in distress, M/B Queen Shaima 5, was located around 7:55 p.m. in the waters of Bitinan, Luuk, Sulu.
The Coast Guard Station (CGS)-Eastern Sulu reported that upon locating the distressed vessel, the search and rescue (SAR) team conducted a thorough assessment and verified that all 63 individuals on board were in good physical condition. An investigation revealed that M/B Queen Shaima 5 encountered mechanical failure while traveling from Zamboanga City to Sulu. Although a passing local motorboat initially assisted the vessel, CGS-Eastern Sulu was alerted and immediately dispatched a SAR team.
The distressed vessel was escorted to Allayon Port in Luuk town, arriving safely at 10 p.m. The SAR team was assisted by the Luuk Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and troops from the 101st Infantry Battalion (101IB). "Through the coordinated efforts of the responding agencies, all passengers were safely transported and assisted at Allayon Pier, Luuk, Sulu," the 101IB stated.
Meanwhile, CGS-Eastern Sulu lifted on Tuesday the suspension of boat trips from Luuk, Omar, and Banguingui towns in Sulu to Zamboanga City and vice versa. The suspension was imposed following a tsunami warning issued by DOST-Phivolcs after Monday's strong earthquake.
