A Small Passenger Boat Capsized In A Lake Near The Philippine Capital On Thursday (Local Time), Killing 23 People On Board And Leaving Six Missing, Rescuers Said.
The Accident Happened In The Early Afternoon At Laguna Lake,
Near Manila, Hours After Typhoon Doksuri Had Swept Out Of The Northern Philippines.
"Some Survivors Begged Us To Rescue Those Trapped
Beneath The Boat," Resident Monica De La Cruz, Who Watched The Rescue
Effort Off The Municipality Of Binangonan, Told AFP.
Cruz Said The Accident Took Place Following A "Sudden
Gust Of Wind, Big Waves And Rain", With Locals Initially Too Afraid To
Assist, Fearing They Would Be "Dragged Down As Well".
The Wooden Outrigger "Encountered Strong Winds Prompting
All Passengers To Panic" And Move To One Side Of The Vessel, The Coast
Guard Said In A Statement.
"The Boat Had Clearance To Sail," Coast Guard
Spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo Told Reporters, Downplaying Speculation
The Typhoon Had Caused The Accident.
The Passenger Boat Was Making Its Regular Run From A Binangonan
Port To The Island Of Talim In The Middle Of The Lake, Municipality Rescue
Official Kenneth Cirados Told AFP.
Rescuers Retrieved 23 Bodies From The Water And There Were 40
Survivors, He Said.
Six People Remained Missing With The Search Set To Resume On Friday.
By Nightfall, Rescuers Had Righted The Boat And Dragged It
Close To Shore, Where Its Yellow Hull Sat In Shallow Water.
A Broken Motorcycle Cargo And Soiled Pieces Of Tarp Were
Draped Over It.