Salvor firm starts cutting into parts MV Ocean Papa
Salvage teams have started cutting up into parts the cargo ship that sank off the coast of Culasi town in Antique at the height of typhoon "Frank."
Commodore William Melad, Coast Guard District Commander in Western Visayas, said the MV Ocean Papa, which lie upside down around 5.6 km from the coast of Culasi, have started to be cut into sections.
The sections weighing approximately 10 tons each are then hoisted on board a barge which are regularly brought to the disposal area in Barangay Jalandoni in Culasi. The salvage plan involves the cutting of the ship into sections from the hull up to the bow and transporting the cut up parts to the shore.
The salvor company, C.V. Gaspar Salvage and Lighterage Company, has completed the cutting up of container vans scattered near Mararison Island.
Melad said the salvage operations are expected to last around 102 days.
The MV Ocean Papa sank due to strong winds and rough seas at noon of June 21 near Mararison Island around 5.6 km from the coast of Culasi while en route to Iloilo City from Manila.
Two of the vessel's crew members, including ship captain Carlo Kho, died, while two others remain missing. Twenty four crew members were rescued.
Divers have still not found the container vans containing the toxic substance toluene di-isocyanate (TDI).
Melad said ships using sonar and closed-circuit television (CCTV) and divers are scouring areas near the Mararison Island for any signs of around 80 sealed drums containing 16 metric tons of DI.
TDI is a main ingredient in the production of flexible polyurethane foam and is used in manufacturing synthetic leather, coated fabrics, paints and adhesives. The chemical can cause severe irritation of the skin and eyes and affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems if inhaled or ingested.
The owner of the MV Ocean Papa, Ocean Container Lines Inc., has earlier offered a P100,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of container vans with the toxic cargo.