(Vatican Radio) At least 31 people are dead and about 170 are missing after a collision
between a cargo ship and a ferry in the Philippines.
The ferry was approaching
the port of Cebu in the central Philippines when it collided with a cargo vessel heading
the other way. It was after dark, and the ferry sank within 30 minutes.
The
Philippines transport secretary said there were more than 800 crew and passengers
aboard the ferry. The figure included dozens of infants.
Many passengers were
said to have been asleep at the time of the collision.
It happened about two
kilometres offshore. Fishing boats joined the coast guard in pulling survivors from
the water, and when daylight broke many life rafts were seen floating near the cargo
ship, which itself did not sink.
Officials said survivors might still be aboard
the sunken ferry, caught inside in air pockets. Divers have been going down, but early
exploration recovered only bodies.
The sunken ship, the Thomas Aquinas,
was a roll on roll off type ferry running a regular route within the Philippines.
The
transport secretary said it was struck on its right-hand side, an indication, analysts
said, that it may have failed to give way to the approaching cargo vessel, as is required
in those circumstances under the international maritime rule of the road.