The Philippine Navy (PN) on Sunday identified the two sailors who got injured after BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS16) caught fire at sea while en route to the Philippines from India.
Fireman Second Class Joemari Bag-o, a machinery repairman, sustained second degree burns in his upper extremity, back, and parts of his face, prompting authorities to airlift him to a burn treatment facility at the Sanjivani Naval Hospital in India for monitoring and immediate medical attention.
“He is in a stable condition but about 40 percent of his body was burned. He is being taken cared of,” said Vice Admiral Giovani Carlo Bacordo, PN Flag Officer in Charge.
Meanwhile, Fireman Second Class Engineman Alvin Aldecoa sustained superficial burns and was in sickbay aboard the vessel.
According to an initial investigation, a lube oil leakage at the main engine room of the vessel caused the fire around 8:30 p.m. (Indian time) Thursday, May 7, while the BRP Ramon Alcaraz was sailing in the Indian waters.
“There was a leakage of lube oil and it hit a hot surface which caused a spark. I’m very happy because our sailors and marines were very alert and they were able to respond in 10 minutes,” Bacordo said.
BRP Ramon Alcaraz successfully returned to and was currently moored at the Port of Cochin in India for a damage assessment and systems evaluation which is expected to last for 21 days.
Bacordo said one of the vessel’s main engines must undergo the necessary repairs to ensure its sea worthiness and the safety of the crew prior to its return voyage to the Philippines.
On a brighter side, Bacordo said the ship’s extended stay at the port also provided ample time for the crew to complete the hauling of 800,000 more pieces of donated face masks by the Indian government to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, BRP Davao del Sur (LD602), which was in convoy with BRP Ramon Alcaraz, continued its voyage back to the Philippines carrying 200,000 pieces of donated face masks and 18 Filipinos who got stranded in India due to lockdown caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
It is expected to arrive at the Port of Manila on May 23.
Lieutenant Commander Maria Christina Roxas, acting director of the Naval public affairs office, expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy and its government “for providing the support and assistance needed in this incident.”
“The swift reaction of our gallant sailors in this emergency situation bespoke professionalism and skills honed through regular training,” Roxas said.
“This incident will not hamper us to do our mandated mission. Rest assured that safety is, and always will be, the number one priority of the Philippine Navy,” she added.
The BRP Davao del Sur and BRP Ramon Alcaraz were deployed by the Navy to Oman in January to fetch overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East who were affected by the heightened tension between Iran and United States following the killing of Iranian top general, Qassem Soleimani.
The vessels left Oman on April 21 and made a stop in India on April 29 to ferry the donated medical supplies until the fire incident happened hours after it left the Port of Cochin. (Martin A. Sadongdong)