Seven dead, two missing after fishing vessel capsizes in central Philippines

Photo: Philippine Coast Guard

Seven people were killed after a fishing vessel capsized and sank in the waters between the provinces of Cebu and Iloilo in the central Philippines on Friday, September 24.

The fishing vessel St Peter the Fisherman II was sailing off Cebu’s Tanguingui Island when it overturned and sank due to rough sea conditions at around 01:00 local time on Friday.

The Philippine Coast Guard then launched a search and rescue (SAR) operation, deploying the patrol boat BRP Nueva Vizcaya to the area.

A patrol boat of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and some Good Samaritan civilian vessels had also sailed to the area to render assistance.

The crew of a Good Samaritan vessel successfully rescued 22 of the 31 fishermen from the ill-fated boat. The survivors were later brought to nearby Negros Occidental province for medical treatment.

The subsequent SAR effort resulted in the recovery of the bodies of seven crewmen in the surrounding waters. Among the deceased were the captain and the chief engineer.

Coast guard divers said they found some of the deceased fishermen at depths of as much as 44 metres.

The vessel’s third engineer and the cook remain missing, the coast guard said on Monday, September 27.


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