the Doña Paz crossed paths at Tablas Strait, 40kms from
Oriental Mindoro and about 175kms from Manila. Much of
what happened can be reconstructed from accounts of the
survivors and those within the vicinity of the incident. Those
who were awake at the time of the incident heard an
explosion that jarred the Doña Paz. One survivor claimed to
had just talked to the captain and the chief mates of the Doña
Paz who were drinking liquor at a party on the bridge a few
minutes before the explosion. Upon going up the deck,
survivors saw the ocean turn into a sea of flames. Many of
those who survived can only recall jumping into the water,
leaving behind people wailing and screaming in pain.
Children’s cries echoed in the night. A man who was with
his family was awakened by the loud explosion while
sleeping in one of the bunks of the Doña Paz. He went to the
cabinet containing the life vests only to find them locked. He
jumped into the burning waters to escape the flames
engulfing the Doña Paz, never knowing what happened to
his wife and two daughters who accompanied him on the
trip to Manila. One survivor remembers seeing people
burning afloat on the open seas, with many others
swimming and shouting the names of relatives and crying