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Ferry sinking in the Philippines

September 13, 2014

Dozens of people are reportedly missing after a ferry sinking in rough weather off the central Philippines. Officials have launched a rescue operation.

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DW map of the Philippines showing Manila
Image: DW

The inter-island ferry Maharlika II was abandoned by passengers and crew late Saturday, after it began to list near the coast of Southern Leyte province, about 680 kilometers (420 miles) south of Manila. It reportedly had more than 80 people on board.

Accounts from Filipino officials as quoted by news agencies differed as to the number of people who had been rescued or remained missing. The number of those reported rescued varied from 14 to 63. Several boats which were in the area at the time were believed to have helped rescue passengers.

"Rescue boats had trouble reaching them because the waves were really huge," Mina Marasigan, spokeswoman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, told the news agency AFP.

According to several agency sources, there were 84 people listed on the ferry's passenger list, 26 of them crew members. However, it is common in the Philippines for some passengers to board such boats without being listed. The country has a poor record for maritime safety, but ferries are a key method of transport for the sprawling nation of more than 7,000 islands.

The incident occurred as Typhoon Kalmaegi approached the north of the country.

The Philippines is vulnerable to typhoons, with typhoon Haiyan killing thousands last November.

se/sb (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)