The lone fastcraft of 2Go Travel plying Tagbilaran-Cebu route has been under repair after a docking mishap damaged its bow yesterday morning.
A top official of 2Go Travel yesterday told DYRD Inyong Alagad confirmed that their St. Sealthiel vessel rammed hard at the designated berthing space at Pier 1 in Cebu Ports Authority.
The fastcraft left Tagbilaran Tourist port at 6:30 a.m. yesterday for the day’s first day and arrived Cebu at about 8:30 a.m, carrying 119 passengers.
However, it encountered trouble in the steering system, resulting to maneuvering problem.
The rest of its Tagbilaran-Cebu-Tagbilaran trips were all cancelled while the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) required 2Go Travel to submit a marine protest within 24 hours.
Marina will also have to inspect the 2Go vessel after the repairs before allowing it to sail again “ensure its seaworthiness”, according to a report from Cebu media.
The top official of 2Go Travel said all the 21 persons hurt during the incident were rushed to a hospital in Cebu City for their minor injuries.
The shipping company had to hold the vessel for repair on what Cebu media reported as “dents in the right and left portions of the vessel’s bow”.
According to the report from Inquirer.net, a checker of Cokaliong Shipping Lines named Alan Gabales, “said he noticed that the fast craft turned off its engine a few meters before it could dock in its berthing space. He turned his back to continue his work when he heard a loud thud”.
The 2Go fastcraft went straight “to the portion of the port designated for the roll on-roll-off vessel of Cokaliong Shipping Lines”, about 50 meters from the berthing space intended for them.
Inquirer.net also reported that “Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council who helped in the rescue operation, said passengers suffered abrasions, contusions and scratches in the face and other parts of the body”.
“Tumulak said passengers, who stood up to get ready to disembark while the vessel was docking, were the ones who got hurt. These passengers, he added, were thrown down due to the impact,” according to the Inquirer.net report.