4 drown as boat sinks off Aparri rough seas

TUGUEGARAO, Cagayan — Four people, including a child, were drowned in the high seas when their banca was struck by strong waves off Puga Island, Aparri town, this province afternoon of May 30.

Senior Insp. George Cablarda, chief of the Aparri Municipal Police Station, identified the fatalities as Dionisio Pancho, Mario Pancho, Maricon Fernando and a still unidentified child, who were all residents of Puga Island.

Quoting investigators, Cablarda said the boat was loaded with passengers and cargo from Puga Island and on its way to Claveria town when it was thrashed by strong waves.

Witnesses who saw the banca set out told police it was overloaded.

Cablarda said this might have been the reason why the vessel easily capsized when it was hit by waves caused by the northeasterly wind flow.

Various rescue groups from Claveria and Aparri towns immediately responded to the site where the banca capsized and rescued its passengers.

Bodies of the four fatalities were later plucked from the water while waves were carrying them to the shore.

Fuga is one of the islands comprising the Babuyan Island group in the Babuyan Channel where the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean meet.

It is about eight hours from mainland Aparri town.