28 die, 22 missing as ferry sinks in choppy waters off Ballesteros

Manila: At least 28 people were killed and 22 others reported missing after a ferry capsized in the northern Philippines, the coast guard said on Monday.

The vessel, Maejan, carrying at least 102 passengers, was on its way from the island of Calayan to the country's main island of Luzon late Sunday when it was hit by large waves, said coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Gary Gimotea.

Two coast guard rescue boats and a search plane have been dispatched to the area to search for the missing, the coast guard said. Civil defence officials said however that heavy seas were hampering search efforts.

According to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) chief Wilfredo Tamayo, 46 passengers of the stricken ferry, the Maejan, had been rescued so far while 22 others had remained unaccounted for several hours after the wooden-hulled vessel capsized off the coast of the town of Ballesteros.

There is a strong possibility that that the vessel may have been overloaded, Tamayo said in an interview aired by the Radio Mindanao Network.

"The vessel is authorised only to carry 40 passengers, and as we can determine from the number of survivors and fatalities, the ferry was loaded beyond its capacity," Tamayo said.

He said the vessel was carrying almost a hundred passengers when tragedy struck.

Huge waves

Huge waves and strong currents battered the Maejan until the vessel capsized, the coast guard said in a statement.

The Maejan had departed from the port of Calayan island around 9.30am on Sunday.

"The vessel failed to enter the port of Aparri due to big waves and strong current until it was dragged and capsized at vicinity more or less 50 metres from the shoreline of Pallog village," the PCG said.

According to reports, among those who were listed as fatalities was the vessel owner, identified as a certain Amy Arellano.

Hours after the tragedy, the PCG had carried out operations to find survivors, dispatching a search and rescue vessel and other ships within the vicinity.

Search aircraft including two helicopters had also been deployed to look for survivors at first light yesterday. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructed the navy and coast guard to extend assistance to the tragedy victims and ordered search operations for the victims to continue.

The tragedy occurred as tropical storm "Dolphin" approached the country from the east.

Tragedies: Sea disasters

- Collision between M/V Dona Paz and M/T Vector (December 22, 1987): Casualties are estimated to have reached 1,800 although there were unofficial reports that as many as 4,000 passengers and crewmen from both vessels died.

- Capsizing of M/V Princess of the Stars (June 21, 2008): At least 700 passengers and crew died after the passenger/cargo ship capsized off the coast of San Fernando town in Romblon province.

- Sinking of M/V Princess of the Orient (September 18, 1998): The vessel sank near Fortune Islands in Batangas south of Manila; 150 of the 388 passengers died.

- The M/T Solar I sinking oil spill (August 11, 2006): The oil tanker sank and 190,000 litres of bunker fuel spilled into the Guimaras Strait, killing wildlife and destroying the island's aquatic ecosystem.

- Sinking of the M/V Princess of the Orient (September 18, 1998): Some 155 people perished after the vessel capsized amid rough seas.

- Collision between M/T Tacloban City and M/S Don Juan (April 23, 1980):The tragedy killed 99 people as the vessels collided between the islands of Dos Hermanos and Mastre de Campo.

- Sinking of M/L Annahada (April 12, 2000): The vessel sank just moments after it left port at the Jolo Pier in Sulu. At least 138 people were killed.

Do you think such incidents are becoming too common? Are enough security measures being taken to avoid such accidents? Do you know anyone who has been affected by the ferry accidents?

I think this incident was caused from a lack of knowledge and security. The company probably wanted to make a profit, even if there were dangers in doing what they did. Many innocent lives were killed. The authorities should do everything they can to prevent such things from happening again. They should dispatch the coast guard to strictly monitor their work to check every ship before leaving, especially during this Christmas season.
Gerald Guiyab
Isabela,Philippines
Posted: December 16, 2008, 08:37