At least six people were killed and 20 missing in a new passenger ferry sinking in the Philippines, dpa quoted the coast guard as saying Sunday. The MV Baleno 9 sank late Saturday off Batangas City, 85 kilometres south of Manila. Nearby ships rescued 62 people from the water, the coast guard said. The accident occurred just two days after a wooden-hulled passenger ferry collided with a fishing boat and sank off Cavite province on Christmas Eve, leaving three people dead and 24 missing. The coast guard said that based on the ship"s manifest, the Baleno 9 was carrying 74 passengers and 14 crew members when it sank while on its way to Batangas City from Oriental Mindoro province. Twenty people were still unaccounted for, based on the official manifest, but authorities said the vessel, which has an authorized capacity of 284, could have been carrying more passengers. "There seems to be a discrepancy in the number of people on board the ship," said Lieutenant Commander Troy Cornello, head of the coast guard station in Batangas City. Cornello said that based on reports of relatives, the number of missing passengers could be as high as 32. Six coast guard vessels, backed by three navy and air force helicopters and volunteer teams, were scouring the area for survivors.
