Ferry Capsizes About 650 Feet from Port in Philippines, 36 Dead
ORMOC, Philippines, July 2 (UPI) — At least 36 people died when a ferry carrying 173 capsized minutes after leaving port on the Leyte island in the Philippines on Thursday.
A rescue operation was launched. The ship was headed to the central islands of Camotes in Cebu province. The cause of the sinking is not yet known, but the boat overturned in rough waters and strong winds.
“Between 50 and 70 people have been rescued and have been provided with food, water and blankets,” chairman of the Philippine Red Cross Richard Gordon told BBC News. “We’re sending an ambulance and divers to the area to help with the search and rescue.”
The boat is about 88 feet long and and was about 650 feet from the shoreline when it capsized, Philippine Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Ganet told CNN.
Many die in the Philippines each year due to poorly maintained ferry services, which are relied on by thousands of people to travel between the country’s thousands of islands. The capsized ferry is described as a banka or “pump boat,” which is a popular craft in the Philippines similar to a canoe outfitted with outriggers and a small engine.
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