Two dead after fishing boat capsizes in rough seas off Southern Leyte, Philippines

A Christmas Day fishing trip off the Philippine province of Southern Leyte ended in tragedy after a boat with eight people on board capsized and sank in rough seas, leaving two of its occupants dead.

The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed in a social media post that the unnamed boat encountered strong winds and rough waves while off Pintuyan municipality on Sunday, December 25.

The crew had attempted to change course to sail to a nearby shelter area. However, the deteriorating sea conditions caused their boat to capsize while underway.

Six fishermen were rescued safely by the coast guard and local disaster response personnel. Another two people who were pulled out of the water were later pronounced deceased.

The eight fishermen were from the nearby provinces of Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Sur on the southern island of Mindanao. Local officials in Southern Leyte have begun coordinating with their counterparts in the other two provinces to ensure that the survivors are reunited with their families and that the remains of the deceased individuals are transported for proper burial.