imported>GoingBatty: /* Collision with MV Doña Paz */ fixed link

2025-06-20T03:24:58Z

Collision with MV Doña Paz: fixed link

New page

{{Short description|Philippine oil tanker that collided in 1987}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
| infobox caption = MT ''Vector''
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = MT Vector.jpeg
| Ship caption = CGI recreation of ''Vector'' in'' [[Asia's Titanic]] but older version of it. ''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header =
| Ship country = [[Philippines]]
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Philippines}}
| Ship name = '''''Oil Nic-II'''''
| Ship renamed = '''''Vector''''' before December 1987
| Ship owner = Vector Shipping, Inc.
| Ship operator =
| Ship registry = [[Manila]]
| Ship route =
| Ship ordered =
| Ship builder = Navotas Industrial Corp
| Ship original cost =
| Ship yard number =
| Ship way number =
| Ship laid down =
| Ship refit =
| Ship launched =
| Ship completed = April 19, 1980
| Ship christened =
| Ship acquired =
| Ship maiden voyage =
| Ship in service =
| Ship out of service = December 20, 1987
| Ship identification = {{IMO|8427632}}
| Ship fate = Caught fire and sank after a collision with the [[MV Doña Paz|MV ''Doña Paz'']] on December 20, 1987
| Ship notes =
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption =
| Ship class = [[Oil Tanker]]
| Ship tonnage = 629 [[Gross register tonnage|GRT]]
| Ship displacement =
| Ship length = {{convert|51.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|11.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship height =
| Ship draught =
| Ship draft =
| Ship depth = {{convert|3.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship decks =
| Ship deck clearance =
| Ship ramps =
| Ship ice class =
| Ship sail plan =
| Ship power = 250 [[Horsepower#Brake horsepower|bhp]]
| Ship propulsion = Triple screw
| Ship speed =
| Ship capacity =
| Ship crew =
| Ship notes = <ref name=Sea-Web>{{cite web|title=Vector|url=http://www.sea-web.com|website=Sea-Web (subscription required)|publisher=IHS Global Ltd|accessdate=29 March 2015}}</ref>
}}
|}
'''''Vector''''' was a Philippine [[oil tanker]] that collided with the passenger [[ferry]] [[MV Doña Paz|''Doña Paz'']] on December 20, 1987 in the [[Tablas Strait]], [[Philippines]], resulting in the deaths of an estimated 4,385 passengers and crew from the two ships.<ref name=":0">Det Norske Veritas Report No. 97-2053, Annex 1: Passenger Vessel Evacuation Descriptions, sec. I.4.1, p. I.36, FSA of HLA on PassengerVessels, C8065\annex 1.doc 1 November 2001. http://research.dnv.com/skj/Fsahla/Annex1.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930132847/http://research.dnv.com/skj/Fsahla/Annex1.pdf |date=2018-09-30 }}</ref> The incident is considered the [[List of maritime disasters in the 20th century#Peacetime|deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-01|title=Ferry collides with oil tanker near Manila - HISTORY|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ferry-collides-with-oil-tanker-near-manila|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401163352/https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ferry-collides-with-oil-tanker-near-manila|url-status=dead|archive-date=2019-04-01|access-date=2020-08-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=7 of the World's Deadliest Shipwrecks|url=https://www.britannica.com/list/7-of-the-worlds-deadliest-shipwrecks|access-date=2020-08-07|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>

==Description==
MT ''Vector'' was a small motor tanker, built in [[Manila]], [[Philippines]] in 1980 as ''Oil Nic-II'', with a [[Gross register tonnage|tonnage]] of 629 grt and a length of {{convert|51.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The tanker was designed to transport [[petroleum product]]s 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.<ref name=Sea-Web />

==Collision with MV ''Doña Paz''==

On 19 December 1987 at about 8:00 p.m., ''Vector'' left [[Limay, Bataan]] en route to [[Masbate]] with a crew of 13, and loaded with 8,800 barrels of petroleum products shipped by the ship's charterer, [[Caltex#Philippines|Caltex Philippines]], now Chevron.<ref>[http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=122670 Strings of Maritime Tragedies]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The following morning, at about 6:30 a.m., the passenger and cargo [[ferry]] [[MV Doña Paz|''Doña Paz'']] left the port of [[Tacloban]] headed for Manila with a complement of 59 crew members, including the master and his officers, and passengers totaling 1,493 as indicated in the [[Philippine Coast Guard|Coast 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 by [[Sulpicio 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 of [[Dumali Point]] in [[Tablas Strait]] between [[Marinduque]] and [[Oriental Mindoro]]. As the two vessels collided, ''Vector''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> cargo ignited and caused a fire that spilled into the water and rapidly spread to ''Doña Paz'', which sank within hours. ''Vector'' also sank shortly afterwards. Two of the 13 crew members aboard ''Vector'' (Franklin Bornilio and Reynaldo Taripe) survived but all 58 crew of ''Doña 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,<ref name=":0" /> 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 launch [[Lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboat]]s.<ref name=court>[http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/1999/sept99/131166.htm "Caltex Phil Inc vs Sulpicio Lines Inc : 131166 : September 30, 1999 : J. Pardo : First Division"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404014545/http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/1999/sept99/131166.htm |date=April 4, 2008 }}</ref> They were rescued from the burning waters by vessels that responded to distress calls.<ref name="court"/><ref>Decision, Court of Appeals, dated April 15, 1997, Rollo, pp. 54-75.</ref> The two survivors from ''Vector'''s crew said that they were sleeping at the time of the incident.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vergara|first1=Ricky|last2=Ignacio|first2=Bert|title=Doña Paz rammed tanker - survivor|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1370&dat=19871230&id=lagkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=agsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4798,4028162&hl=en|accessdate=29 March 2015|work=Manila Standard|date=30 December 1987|pages=1, 8}}</ref>

==Judgment==
Vector Shipping was found liable for the crash, while the chartering company, Caltex, was absolved of responsibility. In a judgement on 24 July 2008, The [[Supreme Court of the Philippines]] absolved Caltex Philippines (now [[Chevron Corporation|Chevron]]) from any liability in the collision between ''[[MV Doña Paz|Doña Paz]]'' and ''Vector''. The decision affirmed the Court of Appeals' ruling against Vector Shipping and its owner Francisco Soriano.<ref name="gmanews.tv">[http://www.gmanews.tv/story/109102/SC-absolves-Caltex-in-MV-Do&ntildea-Paz-tragedy gmanews.tv/story, SC absolves Caltex in MV ''Doña Paz'' tragedy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822131006/http://www.gmanews.tv/story/109102/SC-absolves-Caltex-in-MV-Do%26ntildea-Paz-tragedy |date=2009-08-22 }}</ref> ''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 MV ''Doña Paz''.<ref name="gmanews.tv"/> The Court ruled that "MT ''Vector'' 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."<ref>[http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/publications/benchmark/2008/08/080810.php Vector Shipping Ordered to Pay Sulpicio Lines for 1987 Maritime Tragedy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808053549/http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/publications/benchmark/2008/08/080810.php |date=2009-08-08 }}</ref>

A former captain told investigators that the [[rudder]] was defective and that it took two men to steer the wheel. An inquiry also found that members of the crew of ''Vector'' were underqualified and that the vessel's licence had expired. <ref> [needs source] </ref>

==Wreck==
The wreck of ''Vector'' was found by [[RV Petrel|RV ''Petrel'']] 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2019/paul-allens-research-vessel-surveys-wreckage-asias-titanic-1987-ferry-sinking-killed-4300/|title=Paul Allen's research vessel surveys wreckage of 'Asia's Titanic' — 1987 ferry sinking killed 4,300|date=19 December 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/ships/html/sh_027900_donapaz.htm Ships of the World Article]
* [http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=43915 Guinness Records Article]
* [http://research.dnv.com/skj/Fsahla/Annex1.pdf DNV Annex 1 Passenger vessel Evacuation descriptions P36] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930132847/http://research.dnv.com/skj/Fsahla/Annex1.pdf |date=2018-09-30 }}
* [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=122670 Strings of Maritime Tragedies]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Philippine Maritime Tragedies}}
{{1987 shipwrecks}}

{{coord missing|Philippines}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vector, Mt}}
[[Category:Ship fires]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1987]]
[[Category:Oil tankers]]
[[Category:1980 ships]]
[[Category:1987 in the Philippines]]
[[Category:2019 archaeological discoveries]]

MT Vector - Revision history

imported>GoingBatty: /* Collision with MV Doña Paz */ fixed link