Sunken Philippine ferry carrying 862 people: company
Pastor Dale Morgan
Sunken Philippine ferry carrying 862 people: company*
by Staff Writers
Manila (AFP) June 23, 2008
More than 800 people were on board the ferry that sank in the
Philippines, its owners said Monday, up from an original number of 747
passengers and crew.
The ferry was carrying 751 passengers and 111 crew when it went down in
heavy seas in the central Philippines on Saturday, Sulpicio Lines vice
president Sally Buaron said.
But checks were underway to determine if even more passengers, not
included in the official manifest, were also on board, Buaron said.
Eighty one children were among the passengers officially listed, she said.
The vessel, which is licenced to carry 1,992 people, was battered by
huge waves whipped up by Typhoon Fengshen which lashed the Philippines
on Saturday.
It listed before finally tipping over and sinking off the coast of
Sibuyan island. The typhoon has left 598 dead or missing elsewhere in
the Philippines.
Rescuers said that 32 people have been rescued so far from the ill-fated
ferry, one of them a crew member, Buaron said.
She said the ferry captain, Florenio Marino, had sent a distress call
moments before he gave the order to abandon ship.
"We are at a loss as to what really happened," Buaron said, insisting
that the ship, weighing 23,800 tons, was sea worthy and had never been
in an accident in its 24-year history.
"I have been asking everybody (rescuers) if they were able to find the
(ship) master."