The Department of Labor and Employment on Monday identified six Filipino seamen who survived the explosion of a tanker off the coast of Virginia in the United States.
The six were identified as Edimar Aguilar, James Bactat, Dominador Marentes, Ramon Ronquillo, Lugen Ortillano and Reynaldo Tagle.
The chemical tanker Bow Mariner, with a crew of 24 Filipinos and three Greeks, exploded Sunday morning, killing 3 crew members.
The ship's owner, Norway's Odfjell Seachem, said 18 crew members are still missing and the U.S. Coast Guard launched a massive search and rescue operation in the cold waters roughly 80 miles north of Norfolk, a major American naval base.
Coast Guard Lt. Buddy Dye said the explosion occurred around 6 p.m. (7 a.m. Sunday, Manila time), east from Chincoteague in eastern Virginia. He said the blast almost obliterated the tanker.
The ship's cargo, industrial ethanol, is a form of fuel and gasoline additive sometimes used as a solvent in the manufacture of varnishes and perfumes.
Nick Papadeas, operational manager at Ceres Shipping Singapore Pte. Ltd. said Sunday that , built in 1982, is managed by Ceres but is owned by Norway's Odfjell Seachem.