Five Japanese seamen were rescued after their vessel listed off the Philippine coast in a maritime accident.

The crew departed Japan onboard the MV Catriona heading to Davao in the Philippines when the ship was accidentally damaged, causing it to tilt near coastal Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro province early morning on March 11.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted a search and rescue at 6:30 AM and pulled the five Japanese nationals onto the BRP Habagat TB-271.

The seafarers were identified as Itsuo Tamura, 86, Hiromu Nishida, 83, Hamagato Tsukasa, 80, Osamu Kawakami, 74, and Hata Isamu, 74.

The PCG said in a statement: 'According to the Japanese crew members, they departed Japan en route to Davao.

'While underway, MV CATRIONA was accidentally damaged, causing the vessel to list.

'The PCG SAR team performed a medical check-up on the rescued individuals to ensure they remained in good physical condition.'

They were safely brought ashore at Port Calapan in Oriental Mindoro at 9:10 AM.

In a statement, Ambassador of Japan in the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa said: 'We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Philippine Coast Guard for their swift response and rescue of five Japanese crew members aboard MV Catriona off the coast of Oriental Mindoro. Your dedication to duty and commitment to saving lives is truly admirable.'