70 saved after banca capsizes
CEBU, Philippines - Seventy passengers and crew of the motorized banca RD Express were rescued after the vessel capsized off Hilutungan Island yesterday morning.
In a radio interview with Philippine Coast Guard-Central Visayas Station Commander Rolando Punzalan the vessel was on its way to Cebu City from Kalibutan Island, Talibon, Bohol, when it capsized off Hilutungan Island and Cordova town around 2:10 a.m.
After learning of the incident, Punzalan said that they immediately sent a search-and-rescue unit to the area.
Daisy Torreon, one of the passengers, said the vessel was full of passengers when it left Talibon last Thursday night, but the vessel’s captain Santos Lumod said they were not filled to capacity.
Although the weather was fine when the incident happened, Punzalan said they will be conducting further investigation as a marine protest is set to be filed against Lumod after the vessel was found to have no registry and the passengers were not manifested. (FREEMAN)
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