A tugboat sent to tow the Chinese fishing vessel that ran aground on Tubbataha Reef last April 8 has been delayed, raising concerns the damage caused by the grounded ship may grow worse.
The tugboat that was supposed to arrive Wednesday left Subic only on Tuesday night, radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported Wednesday.
Coast Guard Palawan commander Commodore Enrico Evangelista cited reports reaching him indicating the tugboat may arrive at the north atoll by Thursday night.
With the delay, the dzBB report said Coast Guard and the Tubbataha Management Office voiced fears the damaged area may grow over time.
The fishing vessel with 12 Chinese on board ran aground at Tubbataha Reef April 8, days after the USS Guardian that got stuck on the reef on Jan. 17, was removed from the area.
An initial inspection showed the Chinese fishing vessel, while smaller than the USS Guardian, may have caused as much damage as the US Navy's minesweeper.
Members of the Automated Rapid Reef Assessment Team claimed this was due to the big waves that caused the Chinese vessel's position to shift, and the coral area being crushed by the grinding motion of the hull is becoming bigger and bigger.
"The rope anchoring the ship broke and the ship drifted because of the large waves, and strong current," Maricar Soriano of the team said last weekend.
The group estimated the damage caused by the Chinese vessel at 2,300 square meters, or about five basketball courts. — LBG, GMA News
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