The ferry St Thomas of Aquinas got engine failure and full blackout on route between Manila and Iloilo City in Philippines. The ferry got serious problem in the propulsion system and main engine, which caused power down and the ship left drifting in Iloilo Strait. On board of the vessel there were 561 passengers, who were safety evacuated from the coast guard. The crew dropped anchor to prevent the ship from drifting in the heavy sea and large waves. The coast guard and the port authorities started making a plan for towing of the ship to the harbor, where the vessel will be repaired and maintained.
The ferry St Thomas of Aquinas (IMO: 7304663) has length of 138.00 m, beam of 22.00 m and maximum draft of 6.50 m. The deadweight of the vessel is 2,947 DWT and the gross tonnage is 11,405 GRT. The ship was built in 1973 in the Dutch shipyard Onomichi Dockyard. The ship is built by Philippines’s company Aboitiz Jebsen.