2 ships collide off Cebu; 6 dead

MANILA, Philippines - At least six people died when a ferry collided with a cargo vessel off the coast of Talisay, Cebu last night, according to officials from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The 2GO passenger ship M/V St. Thomas Aquinas – which had 692 passengers and crew – sank less than 30 minutes after hitting cargo ship M/V Sulpicio Express 7, survivors said, as both ships passed through the Lawis Ledge, a narrow and treacherous strait near the entrance to the Cebu harbor.

One survivor told radio station dySS that the lights on the passenger vessel went out immediately after the collision.

The site of the accident was about two kilometers from shore near the border between Cebu and Talisay cities.

As of midnight, the PCG recovered at least six bodies. Survivors were taken to several hospitals in both cities.

Residents of Talisay City were alerted to the accident by two flares apparently fired from the ferry. Fishermen were the first at the scene, followed by PCG and Navy vessels.

The ferry came from Nasipit, Butuan and was headed to Cebu while the cargo vessel was traveling from Cebu to Davao, PCG Central Visayas District Commodore William Melad said.

PCG vice commandant for operations Rear Admiral Luis Tuason said there were about 18 men on the cargo ship.

“I hope the ship crew was able to use their life rafts to bring the passengers to safety,” Tuason said.

The PCG was still trying to determine the cause of the collision. Crew members from the PCG vessel BRP Nueva Vizcaya, a PCG patrol boat and  a Philippine Navy gunship were assisting in the search and rescue operation. – With Freeman News Service