30 fishermen rescued

Some of the rescued fishermen aboard the Coast Guard vessel BRP Capones 4404. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PCG ZAMBOANGA

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Thirty fishermen, including a 12-year-old boy, were rescued after their fishing boat capsized off the waters of Basilan Strait on Sunday dawn.

Lt. Commander Alvin Dagalea, commander of Philippine Coast Guard Zamboanga District, said FB SM capsized after it was battered by big waves and strong winds brought by an intertropical convergence zone.

He said that after receiving a report about the sinking, the Coast Guard immediately dispatched BRP Capones 4404 for a rescue mission.

Dagalea said all 30 people onboard the fishing boat were rescued by 6 a.m., or three hours after the incident.

The boat-sinking came as Tropical Storm “Odette” (international name: Khanun) left the country after bringing heavy rains and floods in northern provinces.

In Cagayan province, 15 crew members of a Hong Kong cargo bulk carrier, MV Emerald Star, were rescued on Friday when their vessel sank off Santa Ana town as Odette slammed northern Luzon, according to a Coast Guard report. —JULIE S. ALIPALA WITH REPORTS FROM VILLAMOR VISAYA JR. AND GABRIEL CARDINOZA