Ferry sinks off Romblon; fate of 823 passengers unknown

MANILA, Philippines - A ferry carrying 823 people sunk off the coast of Sibuyan Island in the central Philippines after encountering huge wages brought by typhoon "Frank" over the weekend. Police in the town of San Fernando in Romblon province reported that the "MV Princess of Stars" of Sulpicio Lines was found upside down off the coast of the town. At least four bodies and children's footwear were recovered on the shores of San Fernando town in the province of Romblon. Mayor Nanette Tansingco of San Fernando said police the bodies were recovered on the shore of Mabulo village Sunday morning. "This is already a confirmed report," Nanette Tansingco. "I sent a speed boat to check on the report, and they saw the boat submerged with a hole in the hull. They saw the name Princess of the Star and there were at least four bodies there," Tansingco told a radio broadcast. Navy and coast guard ships battled huge waves and strong winds Sunday to reach the ferry. Rescue vessels aborted an initial attempt Saturday to get to the "Princess of Stars" after it reportedly ran aground near Sibuyan island, but efforts resumed amid stormy weather Sunday, coast guard chief Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said. Typhoon "Frank" (International Codename: Fengshen) lashed the central Philippines for about four hours Saturday, setting off landslides and floods, knocking out power, and blowing off roofs from houses. Packing sustained winds of 74 miles per hour and gusts of up to 93 mph, the typhoon shifted course Sunday to the northwest and battered Metro Manila at dawn, chief government forecaster Nathaniel Cruz said. In southern Maguindanao province, at least 14 people drowned in flash floods Saturday, including 10 who were swept away from riverside homes, said provincial administrator Norie Unas. Five others were missing. Meanwhile, the 23,824-ton "Princess of Stars" was "dead in the water" after its engine failed around noon Saturday, Tamayo said. Port captain Nestor Ponteres said the ferry's owner, Sulpicio Lines, had lost radio contact with the ship and the fate of its passengers remained unknown. "A lot of efforts have been done to send off rescue boats, but we really can't get through the very rough weather," Tamayo said. A 50-year-old man and his 10-year-old grandson were killed when a landslide buried their hillside shanty in Cotabato city Saturday, Mayor Muslimin Sema said. Authorities recovered the body of a farmer, one of three people reported missing in neighboring Cotabato province. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo directed the defense and local government departments to stand by for relief and rescue missions before she left for the United States late Saturday. Officials said neck-deep flood waters had risen further with a high tide, forcing the evacuation of 5,000 people in Sultan Kudarat township in southern Shariff Kabunsuan province, near Cotabato city. Officials ordered the evacuation of more than 117,000 people from areas prone to floods and landslides in central Albay province. But many returned home by midday Saturday after the typhoon missed the area. The National Disaster Coordinating Council reported flooding, landslides and power outages caused by toppled power pylons in many areas in the southern and central Philippines. More than 100 domestic flights were canceled because of the typhoon. The M/V Princess of the Star sent a distress signal late on Saturday from the area after becoming stranded when Typhoon Fengshen swept across the country. - GMANews.TV with reports from the Associated Press