MANILA - The Philippine authorities rescued 52 passengers who were on board a vessel that was about to sink on Thursday.

The ship partially submerged after it lost its propeller in the northern province of Oriental Mindoro.

Philippine Coast Guard Action Center (PCGAC) in Manila revealed around 6:30 am, local time M/V Baleno 168's propeller was detached while about to dock at Calapan Port Terminal.

"Personnel from Coast Guard Station Batangas together with other rescue units conducted a rescue and evacuation operation and successfully placed all 52 passengers to safety few hours later," the PCG said.

After safely evacuating all the passengers, the agency said attempts to place the vessel on a stable position failed. As of press time, the ship was still half submerged on its right side.

The PCG advised the Besta Shipping Lines, the owner of the vessel, to immediately submit a plan on how to bring back the ship to a stable condition.