Many Casualties at Boat Collision in Philippines
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
At least 27 people are missing after a passenger ferry collided with a fishing boat in the Philippines.
In early hours today (local time) the ferry operated by San Nicolas Lines collieded with the fishing boat in Manila Bay, near Limbones Island. There were no reports of bad weather conditions in the area and the cause of the collision is not yet clear.
Of the 73 passengers and crew on board, 46 were rescued and 27 others were still missing, all of them passengers from the ferry. Rescue teams and nearby boaters have been searching for missing passengers since the collision. Both of the vessels have subsequently sunk.
Maritime accidents are common in the Philippine because of tropical weather, badly maintained passenger boats and above all, weak enforcement of safety regulations.The worst disaster took place in December 1987 when the Dona Paz ferry collided with a tanker. Over 4000 people died in that world's worst maritime disaster in peacetime.