13 die, 690 rescued after ferry sinks in PhilippinesAugust 16, 2013 - 22:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Thirteen people died and 690 were rescued after a ferry sank following a collision with a cargo vessel in the central Philippines, a coastguard commander said, according to Reuters. "We don't know if there are still people missing," Rear Admiral Luis Tuason told local radio, citing a discrepancy between the actual numbers killed or rescued and the ferry's manifest, which showed 692 crew and passengers on board. The 40-year-old ferry St Thomas of Aquinas is allowed to carry up to 904 passengers. The collision happened before 9 pm local time (1300 GMT) off Cebu Island. Tuason said the cargo vessel Sulpicio 7 was on its way to Davao when it collided with the ferry from Mindanao, which was supposed to pick up more passengers in Cebu before proceeding to Manila. "Passengers jumped over board after the ferry listed but it was too dark and that made it difficult to find people in the water," Tuason said. Local officials said the ferry sank about 1 km (1,100 yards) from shore. Local radio said many people were plucked from the waters by dozens of fishing boats that rushed to the area. They were taken to local hospitals. The Philippines was the site of the world's worst peacetime sea disaster in December 1987. The ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with the tanker Vector in the Sibuyan Sea, killing 4,375 on the ferry and 11 of the Vector's 13-man crew. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |