CAMP VICENTE LIM, Calamba City – Four people were confirmed dead while at least seven others were missing when an inter-island ferry sank after it was battered by strong winds and huge waves in waters off Barangay Dinahican, Infanta, Quezon province before noon Thursday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The vessel, Mercraft 2, was carrying 251 passengers when it tilted and subsequently sank at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, PCG said.
A total of 240 people were rescued, 218 of them from the waters off Infanta and 22 in Real, Quezon.
The four fatalities, 2 males and 2 females, whose identities are still being verified by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) through the local governments, weretaken to the Claro M. Recto District Hospital in Real, Quezon.
Regional Director Olivia Luces of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Regional Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) CALABARZON here said the passenger vessel Mercraft 2 was on its way to Polillo Island from the port of Real, Quezon when it capsized.
Local authorities discounted overloading as the cause of the sinking since the vessel has a loading capacity of 286 passengers.
Luces reported that the search and rescue operations are still ongoing by responders from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Northern Quezon, Infanta Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Barangay Dinahican responders, and other private motor bancas in the area.
The rescued victims numbering 199 have been brought to the established “Survivors Area” in Barangay Dinahican where the Infanta MDRRMO is currently catering to survivors’ immediate needs such as medical treatment, provisions of food and warm clothing.
Undetermined number of injured passengers have been taken to the Claro M. Recto District Hospital in Real while temporary shelter area for the overnight stay of the victims is at the Dinahican Multipurpose Center in Infanta.
As report of the sinking was received, a 505th SRG chopper proceeded to Real Central Elementary School for the possible aerial reconnaissance joined by the Real MDRRMO at the incident site.
But, bad weather triggered the cancellation of the chopper’s flight by 4 p.m.
The OCD-RDRMMC regional director also said that the coast guard personnel are now investigating the boat sinking incident.
She said that the names of the rescued and missing victims are still being processed pending official report from the coast guard authorities which augmented their “floating assets” and support by other local volunteer groups.
She also said that the OCD CALABARZON has coordinated with the regional offices of the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Health (DOH) for provision of augmentation for medical treatment, food and warmth, psychosocial processing, and other immediate needs of the victims.
The OCD has also coordinated with Armed Forces of the Philippines-Southern Luzon Command (AFP-SOLCOM) through its 202nd Brigade, Philippine Army and the Tactical Operations Group (TOG4) of the Philippine Air Force for the provision of aircraft to airlift responders from the Quezon PDRRMO to Infanta, Quezon.
Luces said that a squad of the 41BA, Philippine Army onboard KM450 headed towards Dinahican Port to assist and provide manpower for the ongoing rescue operations.
Also a medical team from 202nd Brigade, PA will proceed to the site to beef up manpower and assistance to the ongoing rescue operations in Infanta, Quezon.
Quezon Provincial Health Office, Infanta Municipal Health Office (MHO) and other local MHOs near the area are providing medical teams on site.
The Infanta MDRRMC has established Incident Management Team to manage the response operations of the incident and coordinated with the Quezon Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office for the food packs to the victims. (Saul Pa-a/PNA)
