Cebu sea mishap deaths rise to 24; 274 missing

MANILA, Philippines - The number of fatalities in the sinking of a passenger ship following a collision with a cargo vessel in waters off Talisay City, Cebu province on Friday night has increased to 24 while 274 more were missing, the state disaster response agency reported Saturday morning.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that as of 7 a.m., a total of 24 people have been confirmed dead.

Teams led by the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy have been dispatched to search for the 274 missing passengers of 2Go passenger ship MV St. Thomas Aquinas.

The NDRRMC said that the ferry from Butuan City was sailing to Cebu City when it collided with cargo vessel MC Sulpicio Express 7 in the vicinity of Lawis Ledge, Talisay City at around 9:03 p.m.

The ferry, which was carrying 118 crewmembers and 752 passengers, including 55 infants, sank after the collision. The cargo vessel's 38 crewmembers have been rescued.

The NDRRMC said that the rescued and injured passengers have been given appropriate medical attention by volunteers and government health workers while the owner of the ferry, 2Go Shipping Lines, has provided them with relief assistance.

Trapped

Coast Guard officer Joy Villegas said that according to the surviving passengers, the captain of the ferry ordered the ship abandoned after it began listing and then sank after hitting the cargo vessel.

Rescued passenger Jerwin Agudong said he saw bodies on the side of the ferry as it was sinking.

"It seems some were not able to get out. I pity the children. We saw dead bodies on the side, and some being rescued," Agudong said in an interview over radio dzBB.

Agudong said the ferry was entering the pier when the cargo vessel, which was on the way out, suddenly collided with it. He said he and other passengers jumped in front of the cargo vessel.

"One of the persons who jumped with us hit his head on metal. He is shaking and he is bloodied," he said.

He said the crew of the ferry distributed life jackets while the ship was slowly sinking.

Accidents at sea are common in the Philippines because of frequent storms, badly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations.

In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the Philippines, killing more than 4,341 people in the world's worst peacetime maritime disaster.

In 2008, the ferry MV Princess of the Stars capsized during a typhoon in the central Philippines, killing nearly 800 people. with The Associated Press