Four officers from a Chinese-owned bulker have been arrested and charged over a fatal collision with a fishing vessel in the Philippines.
The seafarers from the 32,600-dwt Happy Hiro (built 2006) have been accused of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, multiple injuries and damage to property by the prosecutor’s office in Antique.
The charges arise from a collision on Saturday involving the FB Jot-18 in the waters of Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.
The accident killed seven fishermen and injured 13 others as the boat sank.
Another fishing boat rescued the 13 injured men. They were taken to the Happy Hiro, which brought them ashore.
Two of the Happy Hiro officers are Filipinos, Tyrone Albina Maquiling and Mckinley Panuncialman Amante, while captain Meshay Amir is Croatian and second mate Bogdan George Antonie is Romanian.
The PCG said the ship, which has been detained off Lipata, was also fined for leaving port without coast guard clearance.
The Happy Hiro was on its way to Australia from China when the accident occurred in the late afternoon.
PCG commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said the Filipino fishing vessel was anchored at the time.
Fishermen treated on bulker
The Manila Times reported Happy Hiro medical officer Mckinley Amante as saying 12 of the fishermen had minor scratches, while one had suffered a head wound.
He was immediately given first aid and was then said to be in a stable condition.
The bulker was sold in March by London-listed Taylor Maritime Investments to unknown Chinese interests for $12.4m.
The vessel is worth $15m, according to valuation platform VesselsValue.
