Dozens die as Philippine ferry, cargo ship collide
Hundreds dove into water as ferry began to sink after hitting freighter near dock
MANILA, A ferry with nearly 800 people aboard sank near the central Philippine port of Cebu on Friday night after colliding with a cargo vessel, killing at least 24 people. Hundreds of others were rescued, but dozens remain missing.
The captain of the ferry MV Thomas Aquinas ordered the ship abandoned after it began listing after hitting the cargo vessel, coast guard officer Joy Villegas said.
The coast guard said 24 people were confirmed dead, including children, and 525 had been rescued several hours after the collision. Authorities were still checking the number of others who had been taken to hospitals.
Two coast guard vessels and other nearby ships were involved in the rescue operation not far from the port of Cebu, Villegas said.
Hundreds of passengers jumped into the ocean as the ship started to sink, according to survivors. Many of the passengers were asleep and others struggled to find their way in the dark.
Jerwin Agudong said he and other passengers jumped overboard in front of the cargo vessel after the ferry began taking on water and the crew distributed life-jackets. “It seems some were not able to get out. I pity the children. We saw dead bodies on the side, and some being rescued,” he said.
He said the ferry was entering the pier when the cargo vessel, which was on the way out, suddenly collided with it.
The 138-metre ferry sank in about 30 minutes, he said.
The ferry came from Nasipit in Agusan del Sur province in the southern Philippines.