By PNA
Forty-two volunteers were rescued after a yacht carrying them and relief supplies caught fire while en route to deliver aid to earthquake-hit communities in Southern Mindanao on Friday.
Video footage posted on the official Facebook page of Adventists Southern Asia-Pacific Philippines showed volunteers transferring from the vessel to a smaller boat after heavy smoke was seen coming from the yacht between 11:30 a.m. and 12 noon.
All 42 volunteers on board were safely rescued and brought to Barangay Pangyan in Glan, Sarangani, the province hardest hit by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on June 8. No injuries or casualties were reported.
In a social media post, the Philippine Coast Guard said it continues to coordinate with local authorities to determine the cause of the incident and assess further assistance needed.
Pastor Nildo Mamac, president of the Southern Mindanao Mission, said only about five percent of the relief supplies were recovered.
“Although we have lost supplies and equipment, we are grateful that every volunteer was spared. Material things can be replaced, but lives cannot,” Mamac said in a news article posted on the Seventh-day Adventist Church Southern Asia-Pacific website.
“The safety of our volunteers remains our greatest blessing in this situation,” he added.
The vessel, owned by Adventist-Laymen’s Services & Industries president Edsel Lim, was used to transport relief supplies since several major roads remain impassable following the earthquake.
“Despite the loss of much of the relief cargo, church leaders and volunteers remain committed to delivering assistance to affected families and are working to establish alternative logistical arrangements to continue the humanitarian operation,” the group said.
