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At least 39 people have been confirmed dead and about 100 others missing after a ferry with 251 people onboard capsized off the coast of the Philippines on Thursday, according to the country’s ABS-CBN News.
The accident occurred off the coast of Real, a town roughly 70 kilometers east of the capital Manila, while the vessel was sailing to the island of Polillo in rough weather, coastguard spokesman Armand Balilo told a news conference.
The ferry left a port in Real around 8:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) and reportedly sank an hour later.
It had the capacity to carry 280 people and had not been overloaded, according to Balilo.
He said authorities are looking into the cause of the accident, likely the inclement weather.
Rescue operations are ongoing but have been hampered by bad weather and huge waves caused by a typhoon.
(REUTERS)
