4 die as banca sinks off Claveria coast
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines – Four persons, including a child, drowned after the banca they were riding capsized off Aparri town’s Fuga Island in northernmost Cagayan province Sunday afternoon, reports disclosed.
Aside from the still nameless child, Aparri police chief Senior Inspector George Cablarda identified the other fatalities as Maricon Fernando, Dionisio Pancho and Maria Pancho, all from Fuga village.
Fuga is one of the islands comprising the Babuyan Island group in the Babuyan channel where the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean meet.
It is about eight hours from mainland Aparri town.
“We are still investigating the cause of the sinking,” Cablarda said.
Reports, however, indicated that the ill-fated boat may have been overloaded, causing it to capsize amid the strong waves of the Babuyan Channel.
The victims as well as other still undetermined number of survivors were reportedly on their way to Claveria town in Cagayan’s northwestern coast when the incident took place.
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