3 children dead after boat capsizes in Iloilo

MANILA, Philippines - At least three children were reportedly killed after the boat they were riding capsized off Concepcion town, Iloilo over the weekend.

The victims are among 14 members of two families who were on their way home from a fiesta when the mishap took place last Saturday.

The drowning victims identified as a one-month-old infant, a four-year-old and a two-year-old.

Three others are still missing due to the incident: a 10-year-old, a six-year old and a certain Auria Villarial.

Belated reports from the Philippine Coast Guard showed the victims encountered big waves that caused their boat to overturn.

A television report said one more child was killed due to the incident, which happened during the height of Tropical Storm "Gorio."

Iloilo was under public storm signal warning no. 1 during the mishap, according to the report.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) earlier reported that there were no casualties from the storm as of late Sunday afternoon.

NDRRMC executive director Eduardo del Rosario said this was due to preparations of state agencies and local governments.

“In terms of casualties, we attained the zero casualty that we aspired for,” Del Rosario said.

Related story: Gorio spares Metro Manila, strands thousands

Based on the NDRRMC's report on Sunday evening, Gorio affected  a total of 686 families or 3,424 people in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, and Leyte.