Philippines: The ferry, MV Thomas Aquinas, collides with cargo ship near Cebu, 32 Dead And 170 Still Missing

In a maritime disaster on Friday, a ferry, carrying more than 800 passengers and crew crashed into a cargo ship just about one kilometer outside of Cebu, according to a Reuters report.

Cebu, Philippines
Image/Video Screen Shot

The collision resulted in two gaping holes in the ferry, the MV Thomas Aquinas, which resulted in the vessel sinking in a matter of minutes.

To date, authorities report that 32 people are dead and 170 are still missing.

Due to bad weather and rough seas Saturday, rescue operations had to be postponed, expected to resume Sunday.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in a news conference, “661 of the 831 passengers and crew on the ferry had been accounted for. With 32 dead and 629 rescued, there are 170 missing. Just 17 of the dead have been identified.

“But we’ve got information that some bodies have been recovered, and we expect the number of missing to decrease, and we expect the casualties to increase.”

The BBC reports that survivors describe the impact as very strong. Hundreds of passengers jumped into the ocean as the ferry began taking on water and listing. The crew distributed life jackets.

Many of the passengers were asleep and others struggled to find their way in the dark, reports said.

Rear Admiral Luis Tuason, of the coast guard, said, “”Because of the speed by which it went down, there is a big chance that there are people trapped inside.”

The Philippines has a less than spectacular maritime record with many people dying in ferry accidents annually.