123 rescued from disabled boat off Burias

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—The Philippine Navy rescued 123 people from a motorboat that stalled amid foul weather off Burias Island in Masbate early Saturday.

Ensign Chibar Bullos, spokesperson of the Naval Forces Southern Luzon based in this city, said the patrol gunboat PG 374  was dispatched to a search-and-rescue mission after the naval station  received a report at 2:30 a.m. that the motor boat M/B Brian was in distress in the vicinity of Cueva Point, Burias Island.

The boat, which had a crew of five, had come from Claveria, a town on the southern part of Burias, and was transporting 18 teachers and some 100 students to a district sporting event in San Pascual, on the northern part of the island, Bullos said.