 CGI recreation of ‘’Vector’’ inAsia’s Titanic | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Philippines | |
| Name | Oil Nic-II |
| Owner | Vector Shipping, Inc. |
| Port of registry | Manila |
| Builder | Navotas Industrial Corp |
| Completed | April 19, 1980 |
| Out of service | December 20, 1987 |
| Renamed | Vector before December 1987 |
| Identification | IMO number: 8427632 |
| Fate | Caught fire and sank after a collision with theMV Doña Paz on December 20, 1987 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Oil Tanker |
| Tonnage | 629GRT |
| Length | 51.7 m (170 ft) |
| Beam | 11.6 m (38 ft) |
| Depth | 3.6 m (12 ft) |
| Installed power | 250bhp |
| Propulsion | Triple screw |
| Notes | [1] |
Vector was a Philippineoil tanker that collided with the passengerferryDoña Paz on December 20, 1987 in theTablas Strait,Philippines, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 4,385 passengers and crew from the two ships.[2] The incident is considered thedeadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history.[3][4]
MTVector was a small motor tanker, built inManila,Philippines in 1980 asOil Nic-II, with atonnage of 629 grt and a length of 51.7 m (170 ft). The tanker was designed to transportpetroleum products such as gasoline, kerosene, and diesel. Prior to December 1987, the tanker was acquired by Vector Shipping Inc., owned by Don Francisco Soriano, a shipping entrepreneur from Manila.[1]
On 19 December 1987 at about 8:00 p.m.,Vector leftLimay, Bataan en route toMasbate with a crew of 13, and loaded with 8,800 barrels of petroleum products shipped by the ship's charterer,Caltex Philippines, now Chevron.[5] The following morning, at about 6:30 a.m., the passenger and cargoferryDoña Paz left the port ofTacloban headed for Manila with a complement of 59 crew members, including the master and his officers, and passengers totaling 1,493 as indicated in theCoast Guard Clearance, though in fact it is estimated to have been well over 4,000.Doña Paz was a passenger and cargo vessel owned and operated bySulpicio Lines, plying the route of Manila/Tacloban/Catbalogan/Manila/Catbalogan/Tacloban/Manila.
At about 10:30 p.m. on 20 December 1987, the two vessels collided in the open sea in the vicinity ofDumali Point inTablas Strait betweenMarinduque andOriental Mindoro. As the two vessels collided,Vector's cargo ignited and caused a fire that spilled into the water and rapidly spread toDoña Paz, which sank within hours.Vector also sank shortly afterwards. Two of the 13 crew members aboardVector (Franklin Bornilio and Reynaldo Taripe) survived but all 58 crew ofDoña Paz died. The official death toll for the ferry is 1,565, although reports indicate the vessel was extremely overcrowded and actual deaths included thousands more. Following investigations the death toll of passengers and crew from both ships was estimated to be 4,386,[2] although admitting that only 1,568 were on the manifest (still more than the licensed maximum of 1,518). The 21 (or 25) survivors from the ferry had to swim, as there was no time to launchlifeboats.[6] They were rescued from the burning waters by vessels that responded to distress calls.[6][7] The two survivors fromVector's crew said that they were sleeping at the time of the incident.[8]
Vector Shipping was found liable for the crash, while the chartering company, Caltex, was absolved of responsibility. In a judgement on 24 July 2008, TheSupreme Court of the Philippines absolved Caltex Philippines (nowChevron) from any liability in the collision betweenDoña Paz andVector. The decision affirmed the Court of Appeals' ruling against Vector Shipping and its owner Francisco Soriano.[9]Vector was ordered to reimburse and indemnify Sulpicio Lines Php 800,000.00. This was the total amount due to the Macasa family whose kin were among the passengers of MVDoña Paz.[9] The Court ruled that "MTVector was unseaworthy at the time of the accident and that its negligence was the cause of the collision that led to the sinking of the Sulpicio vessel."[10]
A former captain told investigators that therudder was defective and that it took two men to steer the wheel. An inquiry also found that members of the crew ofVector were underqualified and that the vessel's licence had expired.[11]
The wreck ofVector was found byRVPetrel on December 19, 2019. She lies upright at a depth of 500 meters.Doña Paz was found lying 2,200 meters away in the same state. Both wrecks are in good condition.[12]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1987 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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