15 dead after ferry carrying 374 sinks in S. Philippines: coast guard
At least 15 bodies were recovered, and 43 people remained missing after an inter-island ferry carrying 374 people sank early Monday morning in waters off Basilan province in the southern Philippines, said Coast Guard Commander Romel Dua of the Southern Mindanao District, Xinhua reports.
The Philippine Coast Guard in Southwestern Mindanao said the ferry was en route to Jolo Island in Sulu province from Zamboanga City when it went down near Balukbaluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad, a municipality in Basilan province.
Philippine officials say ferry carrying more than 350 people has sunk and rescuers have saved more than 200 passengers. - reports
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Rescue teams pulled at least 13 bodies from the water as of early Monday, while dozens of survivors were rescued by Coast Guard units, navy vessels, and nearby fishing boats, officials said, Xinhua reports.
The exact number of survivors was still being verified.
#Breaking 7 people were dead after a #Philippine ferry carrying over 350 people sank, local officials said on Monday. (Photo from Philippine media) https://t.co/TQwyFWCUpe pic.twitter.com/LBnhocN09b
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Search and rescue operations were ongoing, with aircraft and sea assets deployed to scour the area amid rough sea conditions.
Authorities said the cause of the sinking was still under investigation.
