Joy Adalia
Capt. Pedro Tinampay, District Commander of PCG Eastern Visayas confirmed on DZMM that as of 5 p,m,, July 2, 2015, 36 passengers of M/V Kim Nirvana which sank off the coast of Ormoc City are confirmed dead. There are still 21 others missing but the rest of the boat’s 173 passengers have already been rescued.
Operations officer of Coast Guard District Eastern Visayas Lieutenant Christopher Gamet told Sun Star Cebu that the boat capsized because of strong winds and big waves. Nirvana, bound for Camotes Island, sank just a kilometer away from the pier, but the capsized ship sank so fast that many were not able to swim away to safety and were trapped.
Most of those who died in the incident were wearing life vests but were trapped under the boat when it capsized; thus, they drowned. Netizen Ronald Conopio shared a photo on his Facebook page showing rescuers still working to save people from the sinking vessel, but most of the ship was already under water.
As of press time, there is no official report of the incident yet but photos shared on social media show some of the dead victims wrapped in blankets, unconscious people being rescued, and the pier filled with rescuers from various sectors.
Sources: Sun Star Cebu, ABS-CBN News
Note: This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
