In the Philippines, a ferry with more than 350 people on board sank in the southern Philippines. The Ferry was travelling from Zamboanga to Jolo Island in Sulu province with a total of 359 people on board, consisting of 332 registered passengers and 27 crew members. As of today, rescuers from the Philippine Coast Guard, navy, and local fishing boats have saved at least 215 people and recovered seven bodies, while more than 100 others remain missing.
Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces. In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
