2 bodies recovered at Iloilo Strait

ILOILO CITY –– Two bodies believed to be among the missing passengers of boats that capsized at the Iloilo Strait on Saturday were recovered on Tuesday morning.

The bodies of two males were spotted by search-and-recovery teams in the waters of Dumangas town, around 28 kilometers northeast of here.

They remained unidentified as of Tuesday afternoon.

SEA RESCUE Rescuers and volunteers check the wreckage of one of the three boats that capsized on Saturday in the waters between Iloilo and Guimaras provinces. At least 28 passengers and crewmen died in the accidents. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE RED CROSS VIA AP

Pending their identification, the number of fatalities in boat accidents stood at 28 with three missing, according to a joint report of the Office of Civil Defense and Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council in Western Visayas.

The motorboats Chi-Chi and Keziah capsized around 3:45 p.m. while in en route to Jordan town in Guimaras from Iloilo City after being hit by a squall.

Around 3:30 p.m., the motorboat Jenny Vince capsized while traveling from Buenavista town in Guimaras to Iloilo City. /lzb