Final death toll of 3 boat mishaps at Iloilo Strait: 31

ILOILO CITY –– The final death toll of the three boat accidents at the Iloilo Strait reached 31 Tuesday evening after three bodies recovered were identified as those of the remaining missing passengers.

President Duterte is set to visit the wake of the fatalities and meet with survivors in Guimaras and Iloilo City on Wednesday afternoon.

Donna Magno, Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head and designated incident spokesperson, said no passengers from motorboats Chi-Chi and Jenny Vince remained missing.

The three bodies recovered in the waters of Dumangas town in Iloilo were identified as those of Romnel Baguio, 31; Jhaeron Mars Salanatin, 13; and Daniel Baguio, 4.

At least seven members of the Baguio family died when motorboat Jenny Vince capsized around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday when a squall hit it while on its way to Iloilo City from Buenavista town in Guimaras.

The motorboats Chi-Chi and Keziah also capsized around 12:45 p.m. while en route to Jordan town in Guimaras from Iloilo City after a squall or sudden strong gusts of wind also hit it.

Fifty-two passengers of Chi-Chi and Jenny Vince and 13 crew members of the three boats survived the accidents. Keziah had no passengers.

Twenty of the fatalities were passengers of Jenny Vince and 11 of Chi-Chi, according to Magno.

She said they would finalize the end of search-and-recovery operations after a meeting today.