Two Filipino seafarers injured in an apparent drone attack on the M/V Blue have safely returned to the Philippines and were welcomed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The two workers arrived aboard Turkish Airlines Flight TK084 and were received by Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Augusto San Diego III.
Also present during their arrival were representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Manila International Airport Authority Medical Team, and the Bureau of Immigration, in coordination with the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation.
The DMW said the seafarers were provided financial assistance by the agency and OWWA before being turned over to their licensed manning agency.
The department also instructed the manning agency to ensure that the workers continue receiving medical care and psychosocial support as they recover from their injuries.
Three other Filipino crew members who sustained burn injuries during the incident had earlier been evacuated from the vessel and are currently receiving treatment at onshore medical facilities, according to the DMW.
The Cameroon-flagged oil and product tanker M/V Blue, which had 18 Filipino crew members onboard, was reportedly struck in an apparent drone attack while sailing through the Black Sea on July 8.
The attack damaged the vessel’s stern, including its propeller and engine room, and caused a fire that was later put out. All crew members were accounted for following the incident.