By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
MANILA – Twelve Filipino nationals had been rescued following an Iranian attack on the vessel they were manning near Basra in Iraq on March 11, the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad said.
The 12 are among the crew members of Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, which was hit by a suspected Iranian “suicide boat” while on Iraqi waters, killing one Indian national.
The Philippine Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday confirmed that the 12 are now safe in the Basra Governorate in Southern Iraq.
“Iraqi authorities were able to rescue the affected seafarers in the early hours of 12 March, and provided immediate medical care once ashore,” it said.
“Working closely with the Iraqi authorities and the shipping company, the Philippine Embassy is in the process of providing them with the documentary requirements necessary for their repatriation.”
The embassy said medical and welfare assistance were extended to the seafarers.
The attack comes as the raging conflict in the Middle East enters its second week, with Tehran threatening to “set fire” on any ship trying to pass the Strait of Hormuz. (PNA)
