31 boat passengers rescued off Iloilo

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Thirty-one passengers and crew of a motorboat were rescued after their vessel was slammed and flooded by strong waves between Iloilo and Guimaras Island Tuesday morning.

Five of the passengers, who felt ill after jumping off the boat, were taken to the Western Visayas State University Medical Center in Iloilo City, Petty Officer 1 Modesto Castellano, duty officer of the Coast Guard station in Iloilo, told the INQUIRER on Tuesday.

The Nene Linda was on its way from Buenavista in Guimaras to Iloilo when it was hit by strong winds and huge waves around 10 a.m.

Castellano said water entered the boat after waves tore off part of its left side.

As seawater rushed in, the passengers jumped out of the boat even if the vessel’s outriggers were keeping it partially afloat.

The 27 passengers and four crew members were rescued around 20 minutes later by other boats plying the Iloilo-Guimaras route.

Iloilo province was not among the areas placed under any storm signal due to “Juaning,” which intensified into a tropical storm on Tuesday, but heavy rains and strong winds were experienced in the area.