Boat capsizes off Sorsogon, 21 rescued

LEGAZPI CITY – Disaster responders rescued 21 people before dawn Sunday after a motorized banca capsized in the waters off Sta. Magdalena town in Sorsogon province, an official of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol said.

Disaster officials are still determining the identities of the survivors, said Akim Berces, OCD operation specialist.

Berces, in a phone interview, said the banca with markings “Nonon” capsized due to strong waves off Sitio Suki, Barangay San Rafael at about 4:15 p.m. Saturday.

The passengers were rescued at about 1 a.m. Sunday and were taken to the Matnog District Hospital for treatment, Berces said.

The OCD officer, quoting a Sta. Magdalena Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) report, said the banca was bound for Tikling Island in Matnog with 21 passengers from Capul Island in Northern Samar.

He said disaster officials were trying to determine if the survivors were tourists on an island tour. /cbb