7 dead in Philippine ferry sinking, floods

MANILA: Heavy storms in the Philippines killed at least seven people and left more than a dozen others feared missing at sea, rescuers said Wednesday.

Five of the confirmed fatalities occurred when a wooden-hulled passenger ferry capsized about 10 kilometres (six miles) from port off the southwestern island of Palawan on Tuesday, the coastguard said.

At least 17 other people were believed to be missing, based on the ferry's manifest, Palawan coastguard spokeswoman Ensign Greanata Jude told AFP. But she said the authorities thought many more could be missing as ferry masters frequently misdeclare the actual number of passengers on board to evade safety regulations.

Two people were also killed and another reported missing when heavy rains lashed the southern island of Mindanao, unleashing floods on Monday and Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre said.

Ferries are one of the main modes of transport in the Philippine archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, and accidents at sea are common due to poor safety standards and overloading