15 Aboard Drown as Illicit Filipino Cargo Vessel Sinks
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CEBU, Philippines — A cargo vessel illegally carrying passengers struck floating logs and split open in shark-infested waters today, drowning at least 15 people, the Coast Guard said.
Coast Guard spokesman Larry Lagman said 48 survivors were plucked from the sea after the 20-ton motorboat He Man sank off the coast of the province of Samar, 370 miles southeast of Manila.
“The boat crashed into floating logs, splitting the hull,” he said. “Then it just sank.” The seas were calm, he said.
Lagman said the number of victims could rise.
“The problem is we just don’t know how many people were on board,” he said. “Not even the survivors seem to know.”
A Coast Guard report said the vessel was licensed to transport cargo, and Lagman added there should have been only an 11-member crew on board. He said up to 200 passengers could have been on board if the craft was not carrying cargo.
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