Pagasa: ‘Egay’ has nothing to do with Ormoc ferry accident

Coast Guard personnel speed toward the capsized MB Nirvana in hopes of rescuing more passengers. JHAY GASPAR/INQUIRER VISAYAS

The state weather bureau said Tropical Depression “Egay” had nothing to do with the passenger ferry that capsized in the waters off Ormoc City on Thursday.

“We don’t see any effect from [Tropical Depression] Egay in the incident,” Fernando Cada, weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said by phone.

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Egay did not contribute to the tragedy as the tropical cyclone was about 500 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, when the ferry capsized past noon, he added.

The record of the waves and the winds at that time was also not strong. It was not dangerous to sea voyages, Cada noted.

“The winds were not strong based on our record. There was also no gale warning placed,” he added.

Cada said they would not place a gale warning over Ormoc after the incident because the sea condition did not require them to do so.

Pagasa earlier said that a severe tropical storm was also being monitored 3,090 kilometers east of Visayas but it was too far to affect the country.

At least 30 were killed, 127 were rescued from the ferry that capsized, while 26 remained missing.