Rescuers found four more bodies in the northern Philippines, bringing to 27 the number of people who drowned when a boat overturned in rough seas, the head of the coast guard said on Tuesday.
About 45 people survived the accident on Sunday night, Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo told Reuters, adding troops, local police and coast guard personnel were scouring the shorelines and seas off northern Cagayan province for possible survivors.
“We’re doing our best efforts to account for 28 more people still missing,” Tamayo told Reuters, adding four bodies were fished out from the sea, some wearing life jackets.
“Our rescue teams are having difficulties because of the huge waves and strong current. We have to suspend search operations due to 7-metre (23-foot) high waves and strong winds.”
Boat accidents are common in the Philippines, with sea travel the cheapest form of transport between islands in the archipelago of more than 7,100 islands.
Some bodies had washed ashore while many people survived by holding big empty plastic containers to stay afloat, said Alex de los Santos, police chief in Ballesteros town in Cagayan. The stricken vessel set sail on Sunday morning.
“It happened at night so it was too dark. There was zero visibility,” de los Santos said, adding officials heard about the accident hours later when some survivors swam ashore.
The MB Mae Jan was travelling from Calayan island to Aparri town in Cagayan province, 400 km (250 miles) north of Manila.
Coastal towns were informed of gale warnings prior to the boat sinking, a government official said, as typhoon Dolphin entered Philippine territory
