Two crew members were injured after a motor tanker carrying molasses caught fire while docked at the Balayan Distillery Inc. Port in Barangay Talisay, Calaca City, Batangas, on Wednesday evening, September 30.
The Philippine Coast Guard said the fire broke out in the engine room of the Motor Tanker GINDARA. There were 22 crew members aboard the vessel, with 20 reported safe and two sustaining injuries during the incident.
One of the injured crew members was admitted to Metro Lemery Medical Center for further treatment and monitoring. The other suffered an inhalational injury and was treated at Metro Calaca Hospital before later choosing to leave the facility against medical advice.
The Coast Guard Sub-Station Lemery, the Bureau of Fire Protection in Calaca City and local tugboats responded to the incident and carried out firefighting and emergency operations.
Additional personnel from the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog, Coast Guard Sub-Stations in Balayan and Batangas City, the Coast Guard Medical Station-Southern Tagalog and the Maritime Safety Investigation Unit were also deployed to assist with the response and initial investigation.
The Coast Guard also sent BRP Malapascua, a 44-meter multi-role response vessel, to augment the firefighting operation.
As of the latest report, no visible flames were seen around the tanker’s bridge and superstructure, although smoke remained visible. Authorities continued monitoring the vessel while response operations were carried out.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and authorities are continuing their investigation into what triggered the blaze inside the tanker’s engine room.
