In Manila, Back-to-Back Repatriations Show Toll of Conflict for Seafarers
Filipino seafarers can be found in all of shipping's high-risk zones, with all of the attendant hazards - as shown on Monday, when two back-to-back flight arrivals at Manila International brought home survivors from two different far-flung conflicts.
On the evening of the 10th, the Philippines' Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) welcomed back 14 crewmembers of the tanker Acheloos and eight crewmembers from the bulker Else. The two ships had been attacked in separate conflict zones 2,000 miles apart.
On July 20, the newly-built, Dynacom-managed VLCC Acheloos was hit by an Iranian attack off the Musandam Peninsula in the Strait of Hormuz (along with fleetmate Kavomaleas). The Acheloos' crew were unharmed and the tanker transited to a safe anchorage for an inspection. Her AIS signal has been dark since mid-July, according to data provided by Pole Star Global.
Last month, the bulker Else was operating in the Black Sea on a voyage to Odesa when she was hit by a drone strike. So numerous are the attacks on vessels in the Black Sea region that the ship's name has not previously been publicized in connection with a casualty, and no further details were released; she is one of dozens of vessels struck by Ukrainian and Russian drone attacks in recent weeks. AIS data shows that she entered the Black Sea on July 7 and was near Odesa on July 8, after which her signal was spoofed to a different region. Her transponder currently shows her operating in the Red Sea, headed southbound for Bab el-Mandeb.
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Crewmembers affected by these two incidents flew into Manila on Monday night, arriving on different flights about two hours apart. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) had staff on hand to welcome them back and help them get readjusted, starting with an on-scene medical checkup. The returning survivors get financial aid from the Philippine government, temporary lodging, and ongoing counseling and medical care from their respective crewing agencies.
On the same day, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac was in Turkey visiting two drone-damaged ships in a repair yard. The MV Inase was hit by a Russian drone while passing through the Sulina Corridor, according to the agency, resulting in one injured crewmember. The MV Rostrum Optima was hit by five drones while near a Russian port, prompting the entire crew to request repatriation and replacement. The department emphasized that it is keeping an eye on shipowner compliance with right-to-refuse requirements, which give seafarers the right to opt out of a voyage into a conflict zone.
