According to Chinese media, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Armand Barilo said in an interview with the headquarter reporter that at noon on January 26, the Philippine Coast Guard received news that a ship named “Qeda 899 “The Chinese fishing boat was in distress in the waters off the east of the Philippines. The coast guard immediately dispatched a patrol ship to rescue him. At that time, the sea conditions were poor; the wind was high, and the waves were rough. but the rescue operation of the Coast Guard continued, and the position of the ship in distress was determined around 22:00 that day. It was not until 6am on the 27th that the Philippine Coast Guard ship finally arrived at the location of the Chinese fishing boat in distress and carried out a towing rescue operation. The ship in distress is currently being towed to the port of Tacloban and is expected to arrive at 18:00 on the 27th.
Balilo said preliminary indications were that the cause of the accident was caused by damage to the vessel and water entering. There were 7 crew members on board and they have been rescued safely.
The Chinese embassy in the Philippines and the consulate general in Cebu have activated emergency response mechanisms and are checking and verifying accurate information through multiple channels. It is understood that there are seven Chinese fishermen on board, and their health conditions are yet to be confirmed. The Consulate General in Cebu has sent people to Tacloban Port to meet the crew in distress