MANILA: Heavy storms in the Philippines killed at least seven people and left more than a dozen others feared missing at sea, rescuers said yesterday.
Five of the confirmed fatalities occurred when a wooden-hulled passenger ferry capsized about 10 kilometers from port off the southwestern island of Palawan on Tuesday, the coastguard said.
At least 17 other people were believed to be missing, based on the ferry’s manifest, Palawan coastguard spokeswoman Ensign Greanata Jude said. But she said the authorities thought many more could be missing as ferry masters frequently lie about the actual number of passengers on board to evade safety regulations.
Two people were also killed and another reported missing when heavy rains lashed the southern island of Mindanao, unleashing floods on Monday and Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre said.
7 dead in Philippine ferry sinking, floods
