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Four crew members remained missing, death toll at six
The SAR operation for the missing crew of the 'Devon Bay' was formally concluded on the night of Feb 1, the vessel operator K Line Pte Ltd confirmed. The multinational effort had stretched more than a week. The K line was deeply grateful to the Philippines and China Coast Guards, the coordinating rescue centres, and all vessels and crew that have assisted, including vessels from the Group’s fleet, for their sustained, professional, and tireless efforts. Of the 21 Filipino crew members, 17 were rescued during joint operations involving the Philippine Coast Guard and the China Coast Guard. Despite competing territorial claims and long-running tensions, Chinese and Philippine authorities coordinated closely throughout the rescue effort. Two rescued crew members later died from their injuries, while four crew members remained missing. Initial accounts from the crew pointed to a cargo liquefaction as a likely factor in the sinking. The excessive moisture in the nickel ore cargo caused a sudden shift to port side, which destabiliziedthe vessel amid heavy seas. The findings, however, remained preliminary. The K Line promised to continue working with authorities and the ship manager to support affected crew members and their families. Singapore’s flag state authority, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, has opened a formal investigation into the loss. The K Line said it was cooperating fully during the inquiries.
Cargo liquefaction suspected to be behind sinking of bulk carrier
The sinking of the 'Devon Bay' near Scarborough Shoal on Jan 23, which claimed at least two lives and left four crew members missing as of Jan 27, was suspected to have been caused by cargo liquefaction. The 15 survivors and the bodies of the two deceased crew members were transferred to the Philippine Coastguard approximately 168 nautical miles west of Tambobong, Pangasinan, on Jan 25. Initial crew statements indicated that excessive moisture of the nickel ore had caused the load to shift suddenly to port side, destabilizing the ship amid rough seas. Nickel ore is classified as a high-risk Group A cargo under the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code due to its susceptibility to liquefaction, a process in which apparently solid bulk cargo suddenly behaves like liquid when its moisture content exceeds safe limits. When that happens, cargo can shift violently inside a ship’s holds, rapidly destroying stability and leading to capsize with little or no warning. The frequency of such disasters declined after Indonesia had imposed an export ban on unprocessed nickel ore and bauxite in 2014, aimed at driving domestic smelting investment. But when Jakarta partially lifted the ban in 2017, INTERCARGO warned that risk levels would likely rise again. Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority, acting as the vessel’s flag state, has launched an investigation into the sinking. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has hailed the order of the still-missing captain of the ship for survivors to jump ship, when the vessel started to tilt. The account of Capt. Elimar Jucal’s instructions was relayed by the 15 survivors, who were brought to Manila by the BRP 'Teresa Magbanua', which arrived at port early on Jan 26. The captain was the last to get out of the ship before it sank. After that, he was not seen again. Jucal was among the four crew members still missing, while the bodies of two crew members, an able seaman and boatswain’s mat, were also brought aboard the 'Teresa Magbanua'.
Three merchant ships participating in SAR operation
On Jan 25, the search and rescue operations remained ongoing. In addition to the China Coast Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard, three merchant vessels, the bulk carriers 'Corona Joyful' (IMO: 9272905), 'Cape Yamabuki' (IMO: 9482225) and the vehicles carrier 'Horizon Highway'(IMO: 9726700), were remaining in the area, continuing coordinated efforts in the search for the missing crew members of the 'Devon Bay'. The PCG deployed an Islander aircraft to conduct an aerial search on Jan 24 at around 7:20 a.m. The BRP 'Jose Rizal'of the Philippine Navy has joined the ongoing search and rescue operations in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc too. The BRP 'Teresa Magbanua' conducted radio communications with transiting vessels in the vicinity waters 141 nautical miles west-northwest of Tambobong, Pangasinan, as part of PCG's rescue efforts. All transiting vessels in the area were requested to proceed with caution, maintain a sharp lookout, and render assistance as necessary, in accordance with international maritime regulations. 17 of the 21 crew members have been found - 15 of them alive. They were transferred to the Philippine authorities on Jan 25 at 2.43 p.m. One of the survivors remained hospitalized in intensive care. The four missing crew members, like the rest of the crew, wdre Filipino citizens. Shortly after the initial distress call, the crew had abandoned the bulk carrier and the ship sank. The 'Devon Bay' was owned by the Japanese shipping company K-line through a subsidiary in Singapore.
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