MV Princess of the Stars

2008

Typhoon Fengshen, Sibuyan, Sulpicio again Location: Sibuyan Sea, Philippines · Coordinates: 12.65°N 122.42°E · Casualties: ~820 · Survivors: ~50 · Depth: 35 m · Cause: typhoon · capsize — Capsized in Typhoon Fengshen in the Sibuyan Sea on the morning of 21 June 2008. Sulpicio Lines had allowed her to sail despite the typhoon warnings. Around 800 aboard were trapped below. · Fate: partially salvaged · Type: passenger ferry · Sulpicio Lines · Tonnage: 23,824 tons · Crew: 110 · Flag: Philippines · Launched: 1984 Sulpicio Lines ferry, Manila to Cebu, sailed into Typhoon Fengshen with the Philippine Coast Guard's permission despite red-flag warnings already flying. Capsized in the Sibuyan Sea on the morning of 21 June 2008 and settled on her starboard side. ~820 dead. Sulpicio was finally stripped of its passenger licence in the aftermath, 21 years after the Doña Paz. The Vessel The MV Princess of the Stars was a Philippine-flagged passenger ferry of the Sulpicio Lines shipping company, built at the Onomichi Dockyard yard at Onomichi, Japan in 1984 and commissioned on 27 October 1984 as the Ferry Lilac. She was 192 metres long, 23,824 gross tons, and powered by twin diesel engines producing approximately 21,900 horsepower. Her accommodation comprised approximately 2,000 passengers plus approximately 280 crew; her cargo capacity was approximately 5,800 tonnes plus approximately 180 vehicles in her lower-deck vehicle bay. She had been built for the Japanese Shin Nihonkai Ferry service (the Honshu to Hokkaido route); she was purchased by Sulpicio Lines in 2004 and renamed Princess of the Stars. Her post-2004 operational role was the Philippine inter-island ferry service: Manila to multiple Philippine archipelago destinations including Cebu, Iloilo, and the Visayas ports. The specific operational context was the Philippine passenger ferry industry and specifically Sulpicio Lines. The specific company had been previously involved in multiple major disasters (Doña Paz 1987, Princess of the Orient 1998); the specific regulatory and commercial environment had imposed significant reforms but had not fully addressed the underlying safety issues. Her master on her final voyage was Captain Florencio Marimon, 57, a career Sulpicio Lines officer. Her complement on 21 June 2008 was approximately 851 persons: approximately 751 passengers (predominantly Philippine ci The Disaster By approximately 12:00 on 21 June 2008, Princess of the Stars was listing substantially to starboard and drifting uncontrollably in the typhoon conditions. Captain Marimon's decision was to attempt to beach the ship on Sibuyan Island to prevent her from sinking in deep water; the specific beaching attempt was executed but was not fully successful. MV Princess of the Stars partially capsized and grounded on a reef approximately 8 kilometres off Sibuyan Island at approximately 12:15 on 21 June 2008. The specific grounding prevented complete sinking but produced catastrophic damage to the ship's structure and substantially trapped the majority of passengers below decks. The specific evacuation was essentially impossible during the continuing typhoon conditions. Wind velocities and wave heights prevented lifeboat launch; helicopter rescue was impossible in the extreme conditions; the specific location on the windward side of Sibuyan Island was substantially inaccessible to rescue vessels. The specific Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy were unable to reach the grounded ship for approximately 48 hours after the initial grounding. By the time rescue operations could commence (approximately 08:00 on 23 June 2008, after the typhoon had passed), the vast majority of those aboard had died. The specific bodies of approximately 400 passengers were recovered from the partially capsized ship; additional bodies were subsequently recovered from the surrounding waters and beaches. Of