25 Persons Die in Philippine Sea Mishap

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, May 26, 2003

25 Persons Die in Philippine Sea Mishap

At least 25 people died in Sunday's collision between two ferries in the choppy waters of the Manila bay, the Philippine Navy said.

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At least 25 people died in Sunday's collision between two ferries in the choppy waters of the Manila bay, the Philippine Navy said.

Navy spokesman Gerry Malabanan said that as of 8:00 p.m. (1200 GMT), rescuers have recovered a total of 203 passengers of MV San Nicolas which sank near Corregidor island after colliding with a larger ferry, WGA Super Ferry 12, in the Manila bay shortly before noon Sunday.

The total number of rescued and dead persons aboard the wooden-hulled MV San Nicolas have exceeded by 35 the declared number of those on board. The ferry listed a total number of 193 people, including 25 crew members.

"We could not determine the number of those missing as the number of those rescued and recovered bodies have already exceeded the number of declared passengers and crew (of the sunken vessel)," Malabanan said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.

Philippine Coast Guard commander Vice Admiral Reuben Lista saidearlier that 17 people died, 14 people were missing, and 162 were rescued.

WGA spokeswoman Gina Virtucio said all the 1,506 passengers and 184 crew members on board the Super Ferry 12 were safe and the vessel suffered no major damage.

The tragedy occurred when the MV San Nicolas was on its way to Manila from Coron in the western province of Palawan while the WGASuper Ferry 12 was cruising out of the Manila bay to the central city of Cebu.

Lista said an investigation has been launched. Coast Guard officials said overloading and lack of safety features are common for small boats and ferries.

Officials of the companies of the two ferries attributed the incident primarily to poor visibility during rough weather with heavy rains.

"It could have been the visibility," San Nicolas Shipping Lines general manager Lemuel Fabula reportedly said. "Maybe the big one didn't see the smaller one."

WGA spokeswoman Virtucio said the San Nicolas rammed into the steel hull of the Super Ferry 12.

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