Boat capsizes in N. Philippines, 22 killed, 28 missing
15/12/2008 17:12
Twenty-two people were killed, 28 others are missing after a passenger
cargo ferry capsized in high waves off the northern coast of the Philippines,
the country's coast guard authority said today.
In an initial report, the
coast guard said the motor-propelled ferry MBCA MEA JAN with 96 people on board
capsized at some 50 meters from the shoreline of pallok village of Ballesterios
town in Cagayan province last night.
Lt. Senior Grade Gary Gimotea, coast
guard public information officer, told Xinhua that 46 people have been rescued
as they either swam to the shore or were picked up by passing fishing
boats.
"It was very close to the shore so many passengers were able to
survive," Gimotea said. "The survivors have all been identified and were brought
to local police stations."
Local media quoting Ballesterios town police and
officials said about 22 bodies of the drowned passengers, including children,
were retrieved.
The ferry, which left the port of Calayan island at 9:30 am (
0130 GMT) yesterday, "failed to enter port of Aparri due to big waves and strong
current," the coast guard authority said, adding that the trip crossing the
Luzon Strait in fair weather would cost only eight hours.
Gimotea said around
11:00 pm (1500 GMT) the ferry was dragged away from Aparri port, which sits on
the mouth of Cagayan River in Luzon island, and eventually capsized.
The
coast guard authority has issued notice to advice all transiting vessels to
assist the rescue and has coordinated with the navy for the operation.
The
coast guard's search-and-rescue vessel SAR-003 has been dispatched to the scene
and a search aircraft is placed on standby.
The ferry capsized as tropical
storm Dolphin is moving towards Eastern Luzon but the coast guard authority said
the vessel was granted clearance to sail as the storm was still 670 kilometers
away from the Calayan island at the vessel's departure.
Marine-time accidents
are common in the Philippines, especially during the typhoon season, which can
start as early as June and last to December. In June 21, the gigantic passenger
ferry M/V Princess of the Stars capsized at the high of typhoon Fengshen, only
three dozens of the 862 passengers and crew on board survived.
Xinhhua
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