Ferry carrying more than 250 people sinks in the Philippines

The Mercraft 3 ferry carrying 251 people sank off the east coast of the capital Manila today, but the exact number of casualties is unknown.

Mercraft 3 ferry. Photo: Rappler.

The Philippine Coast Guard station in North Quezon reported the sinking of the Mercraft 3 ferry in the vicinity to its office in Manila at 11 a.m. this morning.

AFP quoted Philippine coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo as saying the ferry had an accident off the town of Real, 70 km east of the capital Manila, while traveling from the port to Polillo island in bad weather conditions.

"We have heard reports of casualties but we are still verifying," Balino said. Helicopters and sea rescue vessels were deployed to the scene. "We believe the weather was the main cause."

Balino said Mercraft 3 was carrying 251 people. The ferry is licensed to carry a maximum of 286 people. According to local radio, at least four people were killed and 140 were rescued.

The ferry Mercraft 3 "suffered a large hole that led to its sinking," said Juanito Diaz, acting chairman of the Quezon Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Maritime transport in the Philippines, with more than 7,000 islands, is considered unsafe due to poor ship management. The worst peacetime maritime disaster in the Philippines occurred in 1987, when the ferry Dona Paz collided with an oil tanker, killing more than 4,000 people.

According to Vietnamnet.vn