Over one hundred people have been rescued from a ferry that listed and sank late Saturday having been caught up in rough weather in the central Philippines, according to the country’s Coast Guard.
Rescuers recovered at least three bodies from M/V Maharlika II, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) officials said on Sunday.
Search and rescue efforts continued into Sunday as it was not certain how many passengers were onboard when the accident occurred.
Only 84 passengers and crew were listed on the manifest, however it is believed that many more were onboard the ferry, around 166, since at least three people are feared to be missing.
Strong winds spurred by a typhoon north of the ferry’s route caused the ferry to lose steering control while sailing off Southern Leyte province. As stated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the listing caused passengers to abandon ship.
Three ships passing nearby, including a foreign-registered liquefied petroleum gas carrier, managed to rescue the passengers, the Associated Press writes.