MANILA— The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued 40 passengers and 18 crew members after a roll-on/roll-off passenger vessel tilted to its right side near Real Port in Real, Quezon, early Friday.

The incident involving MV Virgen de Peñafrancia II occurred at around 12:44 a.m. on October 30, approximately 10 meters from the port off Barangay Ungos.

All 58 people aboard, including two infants, were evacuated by 3:30 a.m. and subsequently assessed by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Real. All passengers and crew were found to be in good physical condition, the PCG said.

Operated by Starhorse Shipping Lines Inc., the vessel was traveling from Polillo Port to Real Port with 14 rolling cargoes when it encountered trouble.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the Coast Guard was deploying oil spill booms to protect nearby coastal communities, while personnel inspected the vessel’s remaining fuel and oil inventory to determine the possibility of marine pollution.

The crew reported that the vessel had 1,300 liters of marine diesel oil in its service tank.

“We have directed the shipping company to apply for an Emergency Salvage Permit and undertake measures to safely remove the distressed vessel,” Cayabyab said.

“Further investigation and monitoring are ongoing to determine the cause of the incident and assess its environmental impact,” she added.

Cayabyab said the incident would not affect sea passengers traveling within the Southern Tagalog region.

She reported that the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog recorded 4,107 outbound and 4,373 inbound passengers from midnight to 6 a.m. Friday, the highest passenger volume among PCG districts nationwide.

The PCG said its personnel would continue intensifying security and safety inspections during the Undas observance to protect sea passengers.