20 Pinoy seafarers survive 8.2 magnitude quake in Chile

By Non Alquitran, The Philippine Star

Posted at 04/04/2014 2:54 AM | Updated as of 04/04/2014 2:54 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The all-Filipino crew of a cargo vessel cheated death during the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Tuesday.
Twenty Filipino seamen led by Captain John Francis Rubio said they were left traumatized by the quake that shook their ship while unloading cargo at Port Mejillones.
Rubio, skipper of the 18,000-tonnage bulk carrier MV Fortune Bay, said his crew was still shook up and almost sleepless for the past two days because of the frequent tsunami alert warnings by Chilean authorities.
Rubio said they had just unloaded corn and wheat at Port Mejillones and were loading zinc and lead concentrates for delivery to Japan and Korea when the earthquake struck.
Two vessels were in port while others were anchored off pier waiting for their turn to unload cargo.
Rubio was talking to his wife Shirley on Skype when their vessel shook violently.
The skipper rushed outside to check and learned from his radio operator of the ongoing earthquake.
The radioman also relayed the order of the port control tower for them to leave for the high seas amid tsunami warnings.
Rubio ordered the vessel’s anchor raised while at the same time cut loose some 14 ropes tying the MV Fortune Bay to port.
The vessel was rushing out of port when the first tsunami struck.
MV Fortune Bay made it out in a record seven seconds with neither tugboat nor harbor pilot.
But because it was in a hurry to leave, the vessel left behind its 3rd assistant engineer, Joseph de Leon, who had gone sightseeing outside the port.
“The railings of the MV Fortune Bay were destroyed. But the Japanese owners of the vessel gave assurance that it would be fixed as soon as possible,” Shirley told The STAR.
As relayed by Rubio to his wife, the vessel’s all-Filipino crew were in total shock and were praying for their safety.
They stayed in the high seas until port control informed them that they could come back and resume loading cargo.
Rubio also received an email from De Leon saying he’s safe and sound.
According to De Leon, he was on his way back to port when Chile authorities prevented him from returning and instead brought him to an evacuation center on higher ground where he spent the night.
The ship’s agent escorted De Leon back to the vessel the following day.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POPCOM, gagamit ng ‘digital platforms’ para pagtibayin ang mga ugnayang pampamilya

Mas pinalalawig ng Komisyon sa Populasyon at Pagpapaunlad (POPCOM) ang adhikain nitong pagpapalaganap at pagpapabuti ng pakikipag-ugnayan ng mga nakakatandang Pilipino sa kanilang mga anak na nagdadalaga at nagbibinata. Nitong Setyembre 21, ang POPCOM ay nagsagawa ng isang “parent-teen talk webinar” gamit ang Zoom, kung saan ang isang “interactive program” ang nagbigay ng naaayon na kaalaman at kasanayan sa mga magulang, habang tumulong ito sa mga anak na teenager na maabot ang kanilang buong potensyal. Hinikayat din nito ang mga nanay at tatay na sumali sa malayang usapan, lalo na sa mga usapin ukol sa sex at sekswalidad, na nakikitang makakatulong upang bumaba ang mga bilang ng mga pagbubuntis sa hanay ng mga kabataan. Maaaring mapanood ang webinar sa https://youtu.be/lZ9jrJCjYas. Ayon kay Ikalawang Kalihim (Undersecretary) Juan Antonio A. Perez III, MD, MPH, “ang webinar ay naging isang tagapag-simula at ‘padaluyan’ ng pag-uu
Read more

In Cairo, senior Hamas officials discuss hostage deal with Egyptian intelligence chief ---By TOI STAFF, AGENCIES and LAZAR BERMAN

Delegation said led by terror group’s Qatar-based political leader Ismail Haniyeh; Wall Street Journal reports Hamas demanding 150 security prisoners for each female soldier A delegation of senior Hamas officials arrived in Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials on a possible deal that would see the release of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza. The delegation was led by Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who lives in Qatar, and included senior members Mousa Abu Marzook and Khalil al-Hayya, the Qatar-based Al-Araby news outlet reported, citing an unnamed Egyptian source. The Hamas officials met with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Major General Abbas Kamel, to discuss the details of a hostage deal proposal that was presented to the Gaza terror group earlier this week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The outline of the deal was drawn up during a meeting in Paris last week in the presence of Israeli and US officials, as well as Qatari and Egyptian negotiators, a
Read more

Biden said set to make push for demilitarized Palestinian state as part of new doctrine ---By LAZAR BERMAN

New York Times’ Thomas Friedman, who’s close to the US administration, says emerging doctrine would include Saudi-Israeli normalization, 2-state solution, and campaign against Iran US President Joe Biden’s administration is homing in on a new doctrine involving an unprecedented push to immediately advance the creation of a demilitarized but viable Palestinian state, The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman reported on Thursday. The plan, Friedman wrote, “would involve some form of US recognition of a demilitarized Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that would come into being only once Palestinians had developed a set of defined, credible institutions and security capabilities to ensure that this state was viable and that it could never threaten Israel.” White House officials “have been consulting experts inside and outside the US government about different forms this recognition of Palestinian statehood might take,” revealed Friedman. What he termed the new “Biden Doctrin
Read more