A CARGO vessel capsized late Wednesday night, March 11, 2026, at the pier area of Apo Cement Corporation in City of Naga, Cebu, leaving one factory worker dead and another rescued after being trapped inside the vessel.
City of Naga Administrator Arthur Villamor said the City Government received a report around 10 p.m. about an incident involving a cargo ship believed to be the M/V Maria Theresa 1.
The vessel reportedly listed and eventually capsized after a mooring line anchored to the port snapped.
Villamor said the snapped cable struck a factory worker identified as Baricog, a resident of Inoburan.
The victim was rushed to a hospital in southern Cebu but was later declared dead.
Responders from the Naga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office immediately went to the area.
Villamor noted that personnel from Apo Cement also quickly responded and assisted in the rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Joel Y. Baring, substation commander of the Philippine Coast Guard in City of Naga, said they received information about the capsizing around 10:30 p.m. and immediately deployed personnel to the site.
Upon arrival, authorities discovered that the vessel had already completely capsized.
During their initial assessment, rescuers found one crew member trapped inside the ship.
The trapped crew member was located after rescuers heard sounds from inside the vessel, indicating signs of life.
A composite rescue team from the Coast Guard and Apo Cement employees decided to puncture a hole in the hull to allow responders to enter the vessel.
The crew member was successfully rescued at 1:18 a.m. and is now safe.
Baring said the Coast Guard later confirmed that the casualty was caused when the mooring line of the vessel tightened and suddenly snapped, striking the victim with fatal force.
Authorities said the exact cause of the incident has yet to be officially determined.
Initial information suggests the vessel may have been loading cement cargo at the time of the incident, which may have caused imbalance, but officials stressed that this remains unconfirmed.
As of Thursday afternoon, March 12, Apo Cement has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
The Coast Guard is currently focusing on preventing possible environmental damage after the vessel capsized.
A 100-meter spill boom has been installed around the area to contain any possible fuel or oil leakage from the ship while authorities continue to monitor the site and prepare for possible salvage operations. (ABC)
