2 kids drown as boat capsizes off island town in Cebu

The pump boat came from Carmen town in maniland Cebu and was en route to San Francisco town on Pacijan Island when it capsized on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. (Image from Google Maps)

CEBU CITY — Two children – aged two and nine – drowned while two persons went missing after the pump boat they were riding capsized on Tuesday afternoon in the waters off San Francisco town on Pacijan Island, which is part of the Camotes Islands, east of mainland Cebu.

The spot report released by the San Francisco Municipal Police Station did not identify the fatalities.

At 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, search and rescue operations were started, according to report.

The BRP Capones of the Philippine Coast Guard was among the vessels dispatched to look for the missing passengers.

The capsized boat, the MV Habagat, was carrying 31 passengers and four crew members. It came from Carmen town in Northern Cebu and was headed for Carmen town when it was hit by strong waves at around 1:00 p.m., causing it to capsize.

Twenty-seven passengers, seven of them children, were rescued by Lite Ferry 27 of Lite Shipping Corp. which happened to be passing by. /atm