Nearly 1,400 passengers and crew members on board the Viking Sky were being evacuated on Saturday after the ship lost engine power.

By Mihir Zaveri and Sandra E. Garcia

A cruise ship with nearly 1,400 passengers and crew members lost engine power in heavy winds and more than 25-foot waves near the coast of Norway on Saturday, injuring several people and prompting a painstaking, hourslong evacuation, the authorities said.

The evacuation of the ship, the Viking Sky, began around 2 p.m. local time and stretched through the darkness into the early morning. At 4 a.m. local time, only 280 of the 1,373 people on board had been removed, according to officials with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Southern Norway, which was conducting the operation.

When helicopters reached the ship, rescue personnel were lowered to remove passengers by winch one at a time, in wind speeds of more than 45 m.p.h. Filled with 10 to 15 people, the helicopters then returned to land.

Hundreds of other people wearing life jackets, meanwhile, waited on board, in a dramatic scene captured by photos and videos shared on Twitter.

The images showed the Viking Sky listing in the midst of whipping winds and white-capped waves. Water could be seen rushing onto the ship and furniture sliding from one side to another.

Rescued passengers being helped from a helicopter in Hustadvika, Norway.

“The evacuation is very slow,” Alexus Sheppard, who had been waiting to be evacuated for six hours, said in an interview from aboard the ship.

“The ship is rocking and rolling but at anchor,” she said. “Everyone is calm, except when we get rolled by a big wave.”

We’re waiting for evacuation by helicopter #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/rqSYaWGi0k

— Alexus Sheppard ?️‍? (@alexus309) March 23, 2019

A spokesman for Viking described the injuries as not life-threatening but did not answer questions seeking more information. The spokesman said the Sky was not sinking, despite photos and videos showing water on the ship.

“The people on board the ship are safe, though it’s not a pleasant cruise for them any longer,” said Per Fjeld, a spokesman for the rescue center. “Those who are on the ship, there’s no real hurry. They are not in any danger or anything like that.”

The crew on the 47,800-ton ship, which was traveling from Tromso to Stavanger in Norway, sounded a mayday around 2 p.m. local time near the city of Molde. Mr. Fjeld said that at that time, only one of the ship’s four engines was working.

The majority of the passengers were American, said Eirik Walle, rescue coordinator for the center.

It was not immediately clear what caused the cruise ship to lose power. But it did so in a particularly dangerous part of the Norwegian coastline called Hustadvika, Mr. Walle said.

The Norwegian cargo vessel Hagland Captain also foundered in heavy seas. Its crew had to be evacuated.

“Its reputation is fierce,” he said.

Mr. Walle said that for a period of time, the ship was close to one mile away from the shore, and without power, it could have drifted dangerously close to rocks on the coastline. The crew threw down anchors, but for some time, they struggled to catch on the ground, Mr. Walle said. Eventually, they caught.

Mr. Fjeld said that as of Saturday evening, the coastline was no longer a danger.

“That was a situation that was rather critical from the start, but it managed to move away from the dangerous part of the coast,” he said.

The Viking spokesman said the Viking Sky was “proceeding on its own power.” Mr. Fjeld said that three of the ship’s four engines were working and that the ship was slowly moving south, away from the coastline.

Mr. Walle said he expects that the ship will eventually be towed to a harbor. Then the helicopter rescues will stop.

“That will take several, several, several hours,” he said. “That depends on the weather.”

People who had been flown off the ship were being put up in hotels, and Viking would arrange return flights for all guests, the spokesman said.

“We are working closely with the relevant authorities and all operational procedures were followed in line with international regulations,” the spokesman said. “In addition, Viking has dispatched an operational task force, including the company’s owner, to Molde.”

Mr. Fjeld said the heavy winds and poor weather also led a cargo ship to sound a mayday, and rescuers had to pluck nine people from that ship on Saturday.

Source: nytimes.com

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Photo Credit: rosafarms.com

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is expecting to export mangoes to Russia starting next month Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said on Monday.

“Philippine Ambassador to the Russian Federation Carlos D. Sorreta said that he has been working on the shipment of mangoes to Russia for the last two years only to be told that there is not enough supply of the Guimaras variety,” Mr. Piñol said in a social media post.

“I was informed that the harvest has started and that an initial shipment can be made by the first week of April,” Mr. Piñol added.

Mr. Piñol, who was visiting Russia, said he was able to inspect a store which sold mangoes from Thailand, India and Pakistan for the equivalent of P1,000 each.

“I was shocked to discover that huge mango which is not even half as sweet as the Philippine mango was sold for P1,000,” Mr. Piñol said.

“The entry of the Philippine mango into the Russian and Belarusian markets can radically change the preferences of consumers in Eastern Europe,” he added.

Mr. Piñol said that while Guimaras mangoes will remain on the premium end of the market, the DA also aims to market other mangoes from the Philippines with labels of origin.

The other areas supplying mangoes are Zambales, Pangasinan, Cebu, Iloilo, the Davao Region, and Cotabato.

Source: msn.com

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By Vianca Gamboa

Gone are those days when hot air balloons were mere figments of our imagination and could only be viewed in our favorite Pixar films, thanks to the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival that has been serving the aerial attraction for our eyes to feast on since 1994.

This 2019, Frontrow International is bringing back the longest running aerial show and is set to zoom from the much bigger grounds of Clark Global City at Clark Freeport, Mabalacat, Pampanga on April 12 to 14. In case you’ve never seen a life-sized hot air balloon in the flesh before, then here’s your chance to soak in all that visually appealing, larger-than-life gathering of hot air balloons, and maybe, even ride in one, too.

According to Wilfredo Placino, vice-chairman and president of the Global Gateway Development Corp., the Mt. Pinatubo eruption paved the way for this festival to soar high, as a way to help jumpstart Pampanga’s economy and tourism.

Now, it gets bolder and brighter every year with high-energy ground festivities and new additions to the lineup of eye-popping balloons in all shapes and sizes. Safety officer Serafin Tolentino also assures that everyone’s welfare is to be taken care of since it’s a big event that will be graced by around 50,000 to 70,000 people from different walks of life—from families to tourists.

From left: Serafin Tolentino, safety officer; Noel Castro, consultant; Wilfredo Placino, vice chairman & president of Global Gateway Development Corp.; and Bernie Bituin, launch master

The parade in the sky will feature a roster of hot air balloons from participating countries such as Korea, US, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands, France, Thailand, Australia, Brazil, Vietnam, and India. In summary, there are a total of 20 balloons, all geared-up to dot the sky with giant animals, wacky faces, cartoon characters, and vivid colors—almost like a Halloween party up above. The fun part is that you can hop aboard these huge, quirky, flying objects and have a great adventure in the sky.

Earthbound visitors, however, can roam around the vast area and indulge in various attractions for some active fun. You can also find some great food and shopping kiosks at every spot of the venue. Kids and kids-at-heart, not to mention those who have the acrophobia bug, can enjoy the inflatable slides and special cartoon shows. What’s a festival without some blazing music by the hottest local acts? Along with Kapampangan bands, the festival will be having Slapshock on Friday, Kamikazee on Saturday, and Ely Buendia, Hale, and Unique Salonga on Sunday, to take on the stage and amplify the energy of the spectators. Stunt shows by National Drift Championship, Slalom Racing, Philippine Auto Cross Championship Series, Philippine Rally Cross Series, and Suzuki Motorcycle Philippines will also get your adrenaline revving. Don’t miss this jam-packed and gravity-defying festival that will get your body and spirit soaring high.

Gates are open as early as 5 a.m. General admission tickets are priced at P350 per day, while tethered balloon rides are priced at P500 per person. Kids three feet below in height are free of charge.
Source: lifestyle.mb.com.ph

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By: Jonas Reyes

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – A carnapper was caught red-handed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) law enforcers yesterday after trying to flee this premier Freeport with a vehicle he took on March 24.

According to SBMA Law Enforcement chief Col. Vicente Tolentino, 46-year-old Cris Peralta was held at the Kalaklan Gate of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone while trying to escape on the carnapped vehicle around 12pm.

Peralta stole a red Toyota Townace Noah from Edgar Ocampo, who only parked his car at the Regulatory Building in front of the Harbor Point Ayala Mall around 10am. Ocampo returned to his car around 11:45am but the vehicle was not where it was parked.

Ocampo informed the SBMA Law Enforcement Department of the carnapping incident, which immediately prompted the authorities to put out the call to every sentry in the SBFZ. One of the sentries at the Kalaklan Gate saw the vehicle and accosted Peralta who was driving the stolen car.

Ocampo lauded the speedy apprehension of the suspect along with the retrieval of his stolen vehicle.

Meanwhile, the LED and victim will be filing a case of carnapping against Peralta at the Hall of Justice in Olongapo City.

Source:
Zambales Herald News OnlineFB Page

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Company officials and guests inaugurate the First Aviation Academy (FAA) at the Subic Bay International Airport complex on Thursday. (From left) FAA Director Gerardo Borromeo, SBMA Chairman Wilma T. Eisma, PTC Chairman Emeritus Carlos Salinas, U.S. Ambassador Sung Yong Kim, Philippine Airlines President Jaime Bautista, MacroAsia Chairman Joseph Chua, and Transportation Asst. Secretary Juvy Manwon. (Contributed Photo)

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — A P150-million aviation school that is seen to take the lead in developing world-class Filipino aviation professionals was inaugurated here on Thursday.

The First Aviation Academy (FAA), located at the Subic Bay International Airport, will make use of a comprehensive curriculum, experienced instructors, and state-of-the-art equipment to produce “airline-ready aviation professionals primed for flight operations, said FAA General Manager Raoul Perez.

Aviation support firm MacroAsia Corp. and PTC Group, one of the country’s leading crew management and diversified maritime services groups, will operate the flight academy with the first batch of student-pilots starting the course this April.

The inauguration was led by U.S. Ambassador Sung Yong Kim, Philippine Airlines President Jaime Bautista, PTC Chairman Emeritus Carlos Salinas, MacroAsia Chairman Joseph Chua, Transportation Asst. Secretary Juvy Manwong, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chair and Administrator Wilma Eisma.

Eisma said the FAA project provides another anchor activity at the Subic airport, which the SBMA has been developing into an MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) hub for the Asian market.

First Aviation Academy officials pour champagne on a brand-new Tecnam P2010 plane during the launch of the First Aviation Academy in the Subic Bay Freeport on Thursday.(Contributed Photo)

Perez said student-pilots at FAA would be trained with advanced equipment like the Redbird MCX and TD2 G-1000 simulators, which are two of the most modern full-motion flight simulation systems in use today.

The school would also field a fleet of brand-new Tecnam P2010 planes with Garmin G-1000 full-glass cockpit electronic instrumentation for actual flight training, he said.

Two units of the Tecnam P2010 were also unveiled here by the company during the inauguration.

FAA sales manager Butch Reyes said the combination of advanced equipment and experienced staff “will enable students to develop the skills set necessary to excel in international aviation.”

He said the academy’s intensive 12-month training program would integrate academic requirements for a private pilot license, instrument rating, multi-engine rating, commercial pilot license, and airline transport pilot license.

Source: business.inquirer.net

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