The death toll in the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait boat accident which occurred on Saturday has risen to 28 as of 12noon today, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) told Coconuts Manila.
Three motorboats capsized over the weekend due to the inclement weather brought by the southwest monsoon.
The boats Chi-Chi and the Keziah capsized at past 12 noon while they were on their way to Jordan town in Guimaras after departing from Iloilo City, reported The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Despite the accidents that met the two vessels, another boat, the Jenny Vince, was allowed to sail a few hours later and capsized at around 3:30pm when it was traveling to Iloilo City after it departed from the town of Buenavista in Guimaras.
Authorities are questioning why the Jenny Vince was allowed to sail a few hours after the Chi-Chi and the Keziah capsized.
The Chi-Chi was carrying 43 passengers and four crew members while Jenny Vince had 40 passengers and four crew members, reported the Inquirer. The Keziah had no passengers and its five crewmen survived.
The PCG told Coconuts that 10 of those who perished were from the Chi-Chi, while 18 were from the Jenny Vince. Some of those who died were found with their lifejackets still strapped around their bodies.
According to the PCG’s Western Visayas District commander Commodore Allan dela Vega, as of Sunday afternoon, 62 passengers and crew members have been rescued, reported the Philippine Star.
Because of the incident, all boat trips from Iloilo to Guimaras have been suspended, leaving around 700 passengers stranded in Parola Wharf in Iloilo City, reported ABS-CBN News.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that 31 have been confirmed dead from the accident, which was initially reported by the Inquirer. This version has been corrected to reflect the data provided by the PCG to Coconuts.
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