The general cargo ship Chang Da 12, which was carrying 6,000 tons of bitumen cargo, went aground near the coast of Pangasinan, Philippines and then broke-in-two after heavy storm. The ship was abandoned by the crew immediately, as the vessel had no documents for carrying bitumen on board. The freighter Chang Da 12 was in rough seas, when due to navigation error hit a shallow and went aground. The crew on board left the vessel, because after the distress signal the ship will be rummaged by the customs of Philippines. A few minutes after the crew left the ship, the hull of the vessel cracked and broke-in-two. The cargo on board spilled into the ocean, but will not cause environmental disaster. The salvage operations and the spill clean will start after approve from the customs.
The ship Chang Da 12 (IMO: 8037346) was built in 1974 in Varna Shipyard, Bulgaria. The vessel has length of 114.00 meters, beam of 15.00 meters and maximum draft of 8.00 meters. The vessel has deadweight of 8,700 DWT and gross tonnage of 2,996 GRT. The ship is operating under the flag of Cambodia and is owned and operated by Sino Genesis Investments, Hong Kong, China.