A Sinokor-managed oil tanker is at the centre of a Filipino investigation into a collision with a fishing boat that left three people dead, according to local reports.

An unidentified commercial vessel hit and sank a fishing boat with 14 people on board in the northwest Philippines on Monday, the coast guard said. The fishing boat captain and two crew were killed.

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Local news network ABS-CBN later reported the Philippine Coast Guard as saying that the coordinates of the accident aligned with the movements of the 110,000-dwt Pacific Anna (built 2017), which is managed by South Korea’s Sinokor Maritime and flagged by the Marshall Islands, according to Equasis.

The coast guard said it would contact the flag state, and port state control would board the vessel at its next stop.

The fishermen’s boat, the Dearyn, was moored in a fishing area when it was struck before dawn, according to the accounts of the 11 survivors.

“Adverse weather conditions and darkness may have contributed to their boat not being detected by the passing tanker vessel, thus resulting in the accidental ramming,” said the coast guard.

The country’s President Ferdinand Marcos Jr spoke of his sadness at the deaths in a social media post.

“We assure the victims, their families, and everyone that we will exert every effort to hold accountable those who are responsible for this unfortunate maritime incident,” he said.

The Pacific Anna is sailing on ballast and heading to Malaysia’s offshore Linggi International Floating Transshipment Hub, according to Kpler tracking data.

The Marshall Islands registry said it was in touch with the Philippine Coast Guard over the incident. It said it had opened a marine safety investigation and assigned an officer to the ship.

Sinokor has been approached for comment.

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