Manila, Aug 4 (IANS) At least 19 people were killed and 12 others reported missing after three boats capsized due to bad weather off the Philippines, the disaster management office said on Sunday.
The accidents occurred on Saturday off the rough seas between the city of Iloilo and Guimaras province amid heavy rains, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The capsized vessels are Chi-chi, with four crew members and 43 passengers aboard, Kezziah, with four crew members, and Jenny Vince, which was carrying 34 passengers and four crew members, reports Efe news.
At least 59 people who were rescued are being attended to by emergency services and the Red Cross.
Dozens of people die in the Philippines each year in accidents at sea caused mostly by bad weather, failure to comply with safety regulations, poor vessel maintenance and overloading.
The worst accident in modern commercial navigation happened in the Philippines in 1987 when the Doña Paz ferry capsized in the waters of Leyte after colliding with an oil tanker, killing 4,341 people.
–IANS
