The wooden-hulled MV Josille 2 was carrying 34 passengers and 12 crew members when it was reported before dawn to have sunk off the northern coast of Palawan island, the coast guard said.[break]
"Two are confirmed dead, while 22 have been rescued and the rest are missing," a coast guard official monitoring the incident told AFP.
"The vessel encountered heavy waves."
This file photo shows boats on a beach near Puerto Princesa, on the western Philippine island of Palawan. At least two people were reported killed and 22 others were missing on Wednesday after a ferry sank in choppy seas off the northern coast of Palawan. Photo:AFP
Ferries are one of the main modes of transport in the Philippine archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, and sea accidents are common due to poor safety standards and overloading.
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