Philippine ferry carrying nearly 190 people capsizes, 36 dead

A ferry carrying 189 people capsized in rough seas in the central Philippines today, killing at least 36 people.

The ferry Kim Nirvana sank off the coast of Ormoc port. Photo: Serbisyo Publiko sa Radyo/Phil Star.

The ferry Kim Nirvana sank at around 12:12 p.m. on its way from the central city of Ormoc to Camotes Island, AFP reported, citing the coast guard office in Manila.

The Philippine Coast Guard and police said the ferry was carrying 189 people, including 173 passengers and 16 crew members. At least 36 people died and nearly 120 survived the disaster, Reuters reported.

Search and rescue operations are underway.

Dozens of survivors clinging to the Kim Nirvana’s bow have been taken to rescue ships, said Ciriaco Tolibao, an official at the disaster risk reduction and management office in Ormoc. The ferry is now about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from Ormoc port. Divers are searching the murky water for survivors.

Manila radio reported that 21 people were missing, but Tolibao could not confirm the figure.

Poorly maintained ferries are the backbone of water transport in the Philippines. This has led to frequent accidents that have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years, including the worst peacetime maritime disaster in 1987, when the ferry Dona Paz collided with an oil tanker, killing 4,300 people.

(According to VNExpress)