Cargo Ship Goes Aground and Spills Petroleum off Luzon
A bow-ramp deck cargo ship has gone aground off the northwest coast of Luzon, partially capsizing and releasing oil into the water.
On June 8, the Philippine Coast Guard received notice that the landing ship MSCI 1 had conducted an intentional grounding in bad weather off Badoc, Ilocos Norte province. The vessel (a type locally referred to as an LCT after the WWII-era Landing Craft Tank) was carrying a cargo of gravel, and 15 crewmembers were aboard. The master initially informed the PCG that most crewmembers would abandon ship and three officers would remain on board to tend to the vessel. Coast guard units were dispatched to the scene to monitor the casualty.
On June 9, the MSCI 1's port list had visibly worsened and water had flooded over the gunnels. The crew abandoned ship safely, and all were reported to be in good condition.
PCG officials confirmed that petroleum was leaking from the stricken vessel, and spill control booms were brought in to reduce the impact of the petroleum release. However, the conditions on scene shifted the booms out of position, and an oil slick was observed on a short stretch of the nearby shoreline. PCG responders and partners conducted oil recovery along the shore to abate the pollution using sorbent pads and booms.
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Provincial natural resources officer Victor Dabalos has instructed the vessel operator to close off the source of the leak as quickly as possible. It is believed to be emanating from the engine room, not from the main fuel tanks.
MSCI 1 (ex name Lei Ye 666, IMO 1146655) is registered as a deck cargo ship and was built in 2011. She was last inspected by port state control officers in Taizhou, Zhejiang province in 2025, and 10 deficiencies were recorded, including issues with her watertight doors and her main engine.