A small Philippine ferry turned upside down when passengers suddenly crowded to one side in panic as fierce winds pummelled the wooden vessel, and at least 26 people died, while 40 others were rescued, officials said today, APA reports citing Associated Press.
Coast guard and police said search and rescue efforts had resumed after a pause last night. Officials said it remained unclear how many people were aboard the M/B Princess Aya, which capsized yesterday in Laguna de Bay in Rizal province east of Manila.
When people rushed to one side of the vessel amid severe winds, the boat tilted and its outrigger broke, then the boat capsized shortly after leaving a wharf in the town of Binangonan for nearby Talim island, police and the coast guard said.
The accident happened only about 46 metres from shore, officials said at a news conference.
The Rizal provincial police said that they immediately launched a rescue operation with the help of the coast guard and other local authorities, but that at least 26 people drowned. Forty others were saved.
"This is really a tragic event that has to be investigated," coast guard Rear Admiral Hostillo Arturo Cornelio told reporters.
The ferry was supposed to carry a maximum of 42 passengers and crewmembers but was overloaded, Cornelio said. He said investigators would also look into reports that the passengers were not wearing life vests as required by safety regulations.
Asked how many people were on the boat, Cornelio said it was unclear if there were more than the 66 who died or were save. "We assume there could be more," he said.
A video released by the coast guard showed rescuers on a local government boat pulling a body out of the lake. Another video showed local fishermen aboard vessels approaching the overturned boat.
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