ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines: Hundreds of people were rescued at sea after a ferry carrying more than 900 people sank Sunday off Zamboanga del Norte province in the southern Philippines.
Officials said at least nine passengers drowned and dozens remained missing after Superferry 9 tilted on its side and eventually capsized off Sirawai town.
Survivors reported mass panic as the ship began listing sharply well before dawn. “They told us to stay calm but we could see no sign of rescue. Not for two hours,” survivor Manuel Malicsi told radio station RMN.
Rescue boats have brought in six bodies so far, said local coast guard chief Rudy Isorena on Sunday evening. Civil defense executive officer Glen Rabonza said that 931 people had been confirmed rescued so far from the 964 passengers and crew on the ship’s updated manifest.
However, Isorena said it was too early to say exactly how many were still missing due to the possibility that the lists of survivors were inaccurate. “We’re still consolidating the names and trying to screen them. There might be double entries,” he said.
Army First Lt. Steffani Cacho, spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command, said the ship was sailing to Iloilo province from General Santos City when its captain Jose Yap sent out a distress signal at around 3.30 a.m. “At 8:30 in the morning, the vessel completely capsized,” Cacho said.
She said four navy boats were sent to help in the search and rescue operation. “About 30 life craft were deployed and also four navy patrol vessels and two civilian ships. Two UH-1H choppers and two OV-10 planes have also been deployed to assist in search and rescue,” Cacho said.
The search continued into the night. “We are searching all possible areas,” coast guard chief Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said in a radio interview. Tamayo offered hope for the relatives of those missing, saying some may have drifted away in life rafts or been picked up by private boats that took part in the rescue.
At Zamboanga City, stunned survivors were seen disembarking from the boats that rescued them, many of them half-naked and bare-foot after jumping into the water. A Canadian tourist, Jeffrey Predchuz, was among the survivors.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said two men and a child drowned during the scramble to escape from the ship.
The cause of the ship’s sinking was not known. Philippine Maritime administrator Elena Bautista warned that criminal charges would be filed if negligence were found to be the cause.
— With input from agencies
