BY Victor Reyes and Christian Oineza
AT least 30 persons were killed and six more were missing when their motorized banca capsized off Binangonan, Rizal due to strong winds, the Philippine Coast Guard reported yesterday.
It was not immediately clear how many people were on board the Mbca Princess Aya but disaster official Neil Ferrer told DZRH radio that 40 people had been rescued and a search is ongoing for the six.
A report from the PCG said 40 other passengers of the ill-fated vessel were rescued and it was racing against time to rescue more passengers as of yesterday afternoon.
Initial reports gathered by Col. Dominic Baccay, the Rizal PNP provincial director, identified two of the fatalities as alias Momo and Amain, crew members of the vessel.
PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said the vessel figured in the mishap at around 1 p.m. while on its way to Talim Island in Barangay Gulod, Binangonan.
He said the boat came from mainland Binangonan, which is about 30 minutes away from Talim Island by sea. Binangonan is a coastal town just two hours away from Manila.
“That’s (30) the running figure of killed, dead,” Balilo said.
“The number is subject to confirmation,” Balilo said, adding that other PCG personnel only reported 21 fatalities.
Balilo said the boat was battered by strong winds about 50 yards away from Barangay Kalinawan.
“What happened was the passengers panicked due to the strong winds, they went to the left side, causing the boat to capsize,” he said.
The Rizal provincial police office said 21 died in the incident.
Binangonan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Jose Hernandez said 20 died in the mishap based on the report he received.
“They were battered by strong winds with rain, causing the boat’s outrigger to break,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez said the boat was authorized by the PCG to travel because the storm signal has been lifted after typhoon “Egay” exited the country.
Typhoon “Egay” brought winds of up to 175 km an hour to Northern Luzon.
“The (storm) signal was already lifted so the Coast Guard lifted the ban (on sea travel), said Hernandez. “The ban is implemented only when there is a storm signal.”
“It was allowed (to sail) because there is no public storm signal warning in the area. People panicked, went to the left side and which caused the boat to capsize. It (the boat) tilted to the left side,” said Balilo.
Members of the coast guard were seen pulling a body of what looked like a woman without a life vest from choppy waters as they carried out search and rescue operations, a video shared by the PCG showed.
