Passenger ship sinks after collision off Cebu ABS-CBNnews Posted at 08/16/2013 10:24 PM | Updated as of 08/16/2013 11:45 PM MANILA (2nd UPDATE) – A passenger ship sank Friday night after it figured in a collision with a cargo vessel off the coast of Talisay City, Cebu Friday night. Authorities said the collision between 2GO passenger vessel MV St. Thomas Aquinas and Sulpicio Express 7 occurred in Lawis Ledge at around 8:45 p.m. Hundreds of passengers of the 2GO passenger vessel MV St. Thomas Aquinas had to jump into the water as the ship began to sink. A total 692 passengers and crew members were reportedly on board the vessel. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Vice-Commandant for Operations Rear Admiral Luis Tuason Jr. said search and rescue operations are being conducted by the PCG and Philippine Navy. Several fishing vessels are also helping in the rescue. Tuason assured the families of the passengers that authorities will make sure that all passengers will be accounted for. “Ayaw natin magkaroon ng casualty sa pangyayaring ito,” Tuason told dzMM. The MV St. Thomas Aquinas came from Agusan del Norte and was headed for Manila via Cebu. One of the passengers, Mantilla Domingo, said the ship was scheduled to arrive in Cebu at around 10 p.m. "Something caught up with the vessel and then I just saw that it was already slowly sinking. The passengers then started jumping out of the vessel," said Domingo. Another passenger who was rescued, Glenda Sabadilla, said most of the passengers were already sleeping when the incident happened. "Then there was a commotion and everyone was already searching for their life vests, and then we all started jumping out of the sinking vessel," she said. -- Reports from June Perez, dzMM; Edgar Escalante and Carine Asutilla, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 15:55:58 +0000
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