Rescue operations are continuing across the South China Sea after the Singapore-flagged bulker Devon Bay rolled over and sank while on a voyage from the Philippines to China, resulting in two fatalities and four missing seafarers.
Of the 21 crew members who had been on board, 17 have been recovered so far. Two of those seafarers were later confirmed dead, while four others remain unaccounted for. The crew abandoned the ship before it went down, and officials have confirmed that none of those on board was a Singapore national.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the authority was informed on 23 January that the 2013-built 56,095-dwt bulk carrier Devon Bay, owned by Japanese shipping group K Line via its Singapore arm, had sunk while trading between Gutalac in southern Philippines and Yangjiang, China.
Information from the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) indicates that the bulker’s last reported position was around 141 nautical miles to the west of Sabangan Point, Philippines. Before the vessel foundered, a distress message had been transmitted reporting a list of roughly 25 degrees.
The Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre reported that a transiting China Coast Guard vessel initially recovered 10 crew members from the sea. Chinese authorities later dispatched two additional coastguard ships to support the response to the accident, which occurred approximately 100 km to the north-west of Scarborough Shoal.
According to China’s Southern Theater Command, a total of 17 Filipino crew members were taken from the water, including 14 reported in stable condition, one under medical care, and the bodies of two seafarers.
As flag administration, MPA said it is working with the shipowner and regional search-and-rescue agencies and is providing assistance where required. The authority has also stated that it will investigate the loss. Philippine vessels and aircraft remain deployed in the area as the effort to locate the four seafarers still missing continues.
