5 Filipino seafarers remain missing after abandoning burning ship in Hawaii

Hawaii. Photo: Google Maps
Hawaii. Photo: Google Maps

Many Filipinos dream of working as seafarers because of the relatively high pay, but the profession has a lot of risks, as seen in this recent incident.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday announced that five Filipino seafarers who abandoned their burning ship in Hawaii on New Year’s Eve remain missing.

According to a statement released by the DFA, the five were among the 21 Filipino crew members of the Panamanian-owned MV Sincerity Ace which caught fire some 1,800 nautical miles northwest of Oahu.

A tugboat and another vessel were sent to rescue the five missing crew.

On the other hand, the 16 other Filipino crew members were rescued by the United States Coast Guard and other vessels. The rescued crew members have since gone home to the Philippines.

The DFA said the ship came from Japan and was on its way to Hawaii carrying 3,500 brand new vehicles. It caught fire, forcing its crew to abandon the ship.



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on