1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey everyone, welcome to the podcast I'm Eves 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: and you're listening to This Day in History Class, a 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,319 Speaker 1: podcast that really takes to heart the phrase you learn 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: something new every day. Today is December. The day was 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: December twentie nine. Seven the Philippine registered passenger ferry m 7 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: V Dona Pause sank, claiming the lives of more than 8 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 1: four thousand people. It was the deadliest peace time ship 9 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: wreck in history. Dona Pause, originally called him a Yuti Madu, 10 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: was built by Onomichi Zosen in Hiroshima, Japan, in nineteen 11 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: sixty three. It was first used as a passenger ferry 12 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: in Japanese waters, but it was later sold to a 13 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: Philippine operator who ran passenger ferries. After the vessel was 14 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: to stroyed in a fire in nineteen seventy nine, it 15 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 1: returned to service as a passenger ferry. In nineteen eighties seven, 16 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: Donia Pause was traveling between Tacloban, cat Bolligan and Manila, 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: picking up passengers along the way. The vessel could officially 18 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: hold one thousand, five hundred and eighteen people and be 19 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: operated by a crew of sixty six On December twentieth, 20 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty seven, at six thirty a m. A Local time, 21 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: Donia Pause left Tacloban on the island of Later and 22 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: headed out for Manila in the Philippines with a stop 23 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: and caught Bolligan Samar. It made this trip a couple 24 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: of times a week. Meanwhile, an oil tanker named Empty 25 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,279 Speaker 1: Vector was traveling from bata On to mass Batte, carrying 26 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: around eight thousand, eight hundred barrels of gasoline and other 27 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: petroleum products. Vector was chartered by Caltex Philippines. That night, 28 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: while passengers were sleeping, as the ferry traveled through the 29 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: topless straight Vector in Donia Pause collided off Mindoro Island. 30 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: The lights on board Dona Pause went out, and Vector's 31 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: cargo caught fire, sending gas and kerosene into the surrounding water. 32 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: The flames soon engulfed Dona Pause. Life jackets on the 33 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: ferry were reportedly inaccessible, and the crew did not organize 34 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: a rescue effort. This intensified the panic on board, and 35 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: people who survived the collision jumped off the ship into flaming, 36 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: shark infested water. Don'tia Pause sank within two hours of 37 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: the wreck. And Vector sank within four hours. The death 38 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: toll has been estimated at four thousand, three hundred and 39 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: eighty six people. But the Dona Pause was overcrowded at 40 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: the time of the disaster. Hundreds of passengers did not 41 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: buy tickets, but instead boarded the ship and paid a 42 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: lower fare. Those people were not listed on the ferries 43 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: passenger list. Over the next few days, corpses floated in 44 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: the waters around the island of Mindoro. The Coast Guard 45 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: got word of a disaster, and a search and rescue 46 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: operations soon began. Twenty four people survived the disaster. It 47 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: was later found that Donia Pause had no radio, hindering 48 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: communication between the two vessels. Salpco Lines, who operated the ferry, 49 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: claimed they followed all rules set by the Philippine Coast Guard, 50 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: but the Board of Marine Inquiry determined that Salpico Lines 51 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: was not at fault. Though overcrowding on Donia Pause was 52 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: part of the cause of the disaster, Vector was deemed 53 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: responsible by the Supreme Court of the Philippines because Victor 54 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: was so heavy two people had to steer it, causing 55 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: it to go in a zig zag motion towards Donia Pause, 56 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: which may have confused the Fairies crew. Also, Vector was 57 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: understabbed with underqualified crew. On top of that, the vessel 58 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: did not have a certificate of inspection. Families of the 59 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: victims received little compensation. I'm each Jeffcoat and hopefully you 60 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did 61 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: yes your day. Send your best history memes to us 62 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: at T D i h C Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, 63 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: and Twitter. We also accept electronic letters at this day 64 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: at i heart media dot com. Thanks for listening and 65 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: we'll see you tomorrow. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, 66 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: visit the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 67 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.