Rescuers retrieved at least 4 fatalities and rescued more than 200 passengers from the twin-hulled catamaran M/V Mercraft3, which sank in choppy waters off Infanta, Quezon and Polillo Island.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), search and rescue operations were conducted by the joint SAR team of Coast Guard Station Northern Quezon, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Southern Luzon Command, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO), and local volunteers.
Seven others remained missing when Motor Vessel (M/V) “Mercraft 3” sunk about 5 nautical miles from Infanta, between Dinahican Point, Quezon and Agta Point, Polillo Island around at 11:27 a.m.
The vessel departed Ungos Port at around 09:00 a.m. enroute to Polillo Island with 251 passengers including the crew onboard.
The Mercraft 3 has a capacity of 286 passengers.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog Luzon coordinated with Southern Luzon Command in Lucena for the deployment of Navy assets in ongoing operations. Likewise, the PCG will also conduct aerial surveillance on the said incident area.
