BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Fifty-six people were rescued when two motor boats capsized in the waters off Sagay City and San Carlos City, both in Negros Occidental, on Sunday.
One of the boats sank off the coast of Sipaway Island in San Carlos City where 10 people were rescued.
Forty-six others were rescued from another boat that capsized off Molocaboc Island in Sagay City.
No one died in the incidents. Some of the survivors were taken to the Alfredo E. Marañon Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Sagay City for checkup, according to Joe Luviz Mercurio, chief of the the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sub-station in the area.
The boats reportedly encountered a squall believed caused by local thunderstorms.
The 46 people who were rescued in Sagay are members of the Negros Brotherhood Riders’ Club, which hired five motor boats to ferry them to Molocaboc from a port in Escalante City, the PCG said.
Two of the boats were battered by strong winds and big waves that damaged their outriggers.
The passengers were rescued by the three other boats that were able to return safely to their point of origin.
Fourteen passengers were found clinging for safety to the capsized boat. Ten others were found on a sandbar by responding personnel of the Sagay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Mercurio said the owners of the boats could be held liable for the accident as they were reportedly not authorized to transport passengers.
Investigation showed the boat that capsized off the coast of Sipaway Island was allowed to operate only as a service boat and not to ferry passengers.