Manila: The death toll from a capsized Philippine ferry rose to 51 today as rescuers tried to right the overturned vessel and found more bodies, a coast guard official said.
The motorized, wooden-hulled boat rolled on its side and overturned minutes after leaving the port of Ormoc City on Thursday. Coast guard Captain Pedro Tinampay said there were 141 survivors.
Passengers said the ferry appeared to turn sharply to the right and was hit by a large wave before it overturned after leaving port in Leyte province, south of the capital, Manila.
"We were given life vests but we were not able to wear them before the ferry sank," said survivor Rhe-An Garciano.
Panicked passengers crowded the right side of the ferry, causing it to tilt slowly before capsizing, a coast guard spokesman said.
Scores, sometimes hundreds, of people die each year from ferry accidents in the Philippines, an archipelago of 7,100 islands with a notoriously poor record for maritime safety.
Overcrowding is common and many of the vessels are in bad condition.
The motorized, wooden-hulled boat rolled on its side and overturned minutes after leaving the port of Ormoc City on Thursday. Coast guard Captain Pedro Tinampay said there were 141 survivors.
Passengers said the ferry appeared to turn sharply to the right and was hit by a large wave before it overturned after leaving port in Leyte province, south of the capital, Manila.
Panicked passengers crowded the right side of the ferry, causing it to tilt slowly before capsizing, a coast guard spokesman said.
Advertisement
Overcrowding is common and many of the vessels are in bad condition.
© Thomson Reuters 2015
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Inside Sonakshi Sinha And Zaheer Iqbal's Honeymoon Diaries In Philippines China Has Anchored "Monster Ship" In South China Sea, Warns Philippines Chinese Sailors Wield Knives, Axe In Galwan-Style Clash With Philippines Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage "Re-Exam Only On Concrete Footing": Supreme Court On NEET-UG Row 'Dark Comets' May Pose Bigger Threat Than Previously Thought To Earth "NEET-UG Re-Test Only If Sanctity Lost On Large Scale": Supreme Court "Former Weight Of 120 Kg": Doctor Shares How Weight Loss Changed Her Life Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.