Salvage operations for MV Ocean Papa starts today
A private company will start salvaging today the cargo vessel MV Ocean Papa which sank off the coast of Malalison Island in Culasi, Antique during the onslaught of typhoon Frank last June 21, 2008.
Commander Harold Harder of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Western Visayas told Bombo Radyo in an interview that Oceanic Container Lines, owner of the sunken vessel, hired CJ Gaspar Salvage Company to undertake the salvaging operations.
The MV Ocean Papa carries around 80 sealed drums containing 16 metric tons of toxic chemical toxic substance toluene di-isocyanate (TDI).
TDI, a main ingredient in the production of flexible polyurethane foam and other polyurethane applications, can cause severe irritation of the skin and eyes and affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems if inhaled or ingested.
Harder said the sunken vessel would be divided into several parts to have it salvaged.
The Coast Guard has conducted search and retrieval operations of the container vans that were carried by the vessel before it sank.
So far they were able to recover 61 container vans of the total 147 container vans carried by the vessel. But of the recovered container vans none contained the toxic substance.
Harder believed that other container vans might have been carried away by the waves into other places.
He warned people not to open the drums containing the toxic chemical.
MV Ocean Papa was en route to Iloilo City from Manila when it sank due to strong winds and rough seas.
Two of the vessel's crew members, including ship captain Carlo Kho, died, while two others remain missing. Twenty four crew members were rescued, according to Commodore William Melad, Coast District Commander in Western Visayas.