Güncelleme Tarihi:
Most of the 626 passengers and 121 crew are missing and the vessel's owner, Sulpicio Lines, said it had lost contact with the ferry, which was en route to Cebu from Manila, at around 12:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday.
The coast guard finally reached the area where the MV Princess of Stars sank three kilometers (two miles) from
Residents from a coastal village said only the ferry's bow was visible above the waves. "Our ship is in the area but it has not reported yet," said Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, the head of the coastguard.
Local mayor Nanette Tansingco told radio that three survivors had been found in remote villages. "We are sending people to get them but they have to walk to get there because the roads are impassable," she said.
At least four others aboard are known to have died.
Typhoon Fengshen, with maximum gusts of 195 kph (121 mph), has killed at least 85 people in central and southern
After pelting
WARNING SIRENS
In Romblon province, the bodies of two women and some children's slippers were washed ashore from the Princess of Stars.
Before dawn on Sunday, some villagers heard warning sirens from the ship, which had 626 passengers and 121 crew on board.
Dozens of relatives, some in tears, crowded into the offices of Sulpicio Lines in the central city of
Lieutenant-General Pedro Inserto, military commander in Visayas, the central region of the
In
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"FLOODING IS MASSIVE"
In neighboring Capiz, more than 2,000 houses were destroyed in the provincial capital and officials were struggling to make contact with communities further afield.
"The flooding is massive. Roads are impassable so we cannot penetrate the municipalities. Some areas are in waist-deep waters, only 10-wheeler trucks can be used," said Maria Barnes, the social welfare and development officer of the local government.
Fengshen tore up houses, trees and power lines and in the southern city of Cotabato, it sparked a "trash slide" at a rubbish dump, killing an 8-year-old girl and her grandfather.
More than 20,000 people were being housed in evacuation centers in the center and south of the archipelago.
In
The international airport was relying on generators and passengers continued to cram into the departure terminal despite many flights being either delayed or cancelled.
Photo: Reuters