(UPDATE) 9 Cotabatenios among victims of ferry tragedy in Leyte

COTABATO
CITY (Sept. 16/NDBC) – Two of the three missing passengers of an ill-fated
roll-on, roll-off ferry, MV Maharlika 2 that sank off Southern Leyte, were from
Cotabato City, radio reports said.
Nine
of the 116 passengers were also from Cotabato City, the Philippine Coast Guard
said.
In a nationwide
radio interview, Capt. Joseph Coyme, deputy district commander of Coast Guard
in Northern Mindanao said a total of 113 survivors were rescued as of Tuesday
in the vicinity of Surigao Strait where the vessel sank at the height of
typhoon Luis.”Quoting
passengers’ manifest, Coyme told reporters the vessel had listed 58 passengers
and 22 crew members or a total of 84 people.
But
Coyme said Capt. Juan Cuyago, skipper of Maharlika 2 told Coast Guard
investigators they carried 116 people before he ordered to abandon ship.
Maharlika
2 sank around 6 pm Saturday off Pintuyan, Southern Leyte after losing control
while heading for Liloan, Southern Leyte.
Aside
from passengers, also on board was a passenger Pantranco bus, 11 trucks and a
private car, qualified as rolling cargoes.”
Sarah
Andil, a resident of Cotabato City, was traveling to Manila with eight other
relatives. She suffered leg injury after
jumping overboard when the vessel captain ordered them to abandon ship at past 5
p.m. amid strong winds and heavy downpour.
Andil
is now confined at the Caraga Regional Hospital. She recalled the captain them to
wear life vests and jump as the boat had experience steering problem and the
vessel already tilting on its side.
Andil,
her children and relatives, were heading back to Manila from a brief vacation
in Cotabato City when the accident happened Saturday.
She
was praying her two missing relatives are still alive.Philippine
Coast Guard in the Caraga region continues to search with the improving weather
condition.Andil
said she and her family at first was hesitant to board due to strong winds but
her desire to return to Manila prevailed.
So they all boarded the ferry, leaving Surigao early Saturday.
Andil
recalled that when the ferry suddenly slowed down, the boat captain announced it encounteredproblems that were being attended to.However,
several hours later the boat started to tilt on its side, causing panic among
passengers.
Then
the skipper announced a rescue vessel was coming but another hour had passed, no vessel was in sight.
I pray
that my two relatives are still alive and that they will be rescued,” she said
in Filipino without identifying them.(NDBC)