ILOILO CITY?At least nine people drowned and several others were missing after a passenger boat capsized off Concepcion town in Iloilo province on Thursday afternoon.

All the fatalities were passengers of the motorboat Rolly IV, said Raul Banias, presidential assistant for Western Visayas.

A report of the Concepcion police station identified the fatalities as Gigi Villaran, Tonya de la Cruz, Juanito Musico, Sheila Olano, Miriam Salundagit, Carmen Padrillan, Aida Libre, Cana Caberoy, and Jerson Caberoy.

The boat was on its way to the island-village of Maliogliog from the Concepcion mainland at around 2:30 p.m. when it was battered by huge waves triggered by Tropical Depression ?Quinta.?

The boat suffered engine trouble before it capsized off Sitio Ulpok in Barangay Maliogliog, Concepcion, according to Banias.

Concepcion is 111 kilometers north of Iloilo City.

Search and rescue teams and boats have been sent to the area but these have been hampered by huge waves, according to Banias.

Western Visayas was placed under Storm Signal No. 1 Thursday.