Binangonan boat mishap death toll rises to 26
THE fatalities in the boat that sank off Laguna Lake in Binangonan, Rizal on Thursday afternoon rose to 26, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
Reports said that strong waves hit the passenger boat ‘Aya Express’ while passing the lake in Barangay Kalinawan in Binangonan at 2:50 p.m. Thursday. The vessel’s captain was identified as Donald Añain.
Members of the Binangonan Municipal Police Station headed by Major Rhonni Ariola immediately responded to the site and sought the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. At least 40 passengers were saved by the rescue teams.
At 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the bodies of 26 victims of the boat sinking were recovered.
Police, the Coast Guard and the MDRRMO halted their search-rescue-and-retrieval operations at 7:30 p.m. due to darkness. Retrieval operations resumed at 6 a.m. Friday.
Lieutenant General Rhoderick C. Armamento, commander of the Area Police Command-Southern Luzon, said investigators from the Binangonan MPS are now starting to identify the fatalities.
“They were interviewing possible relatives and friends of the victims who rushed to the site of the incident and later the police station,” the official said.
Police have identified some of the victims as Delaila Arambulo, of Barangay Sapang, Binangonan; Kianan Luis de Leon and Scaler de Leon of Bgy. Sapang; Teodora Librante, Dorie Villadiego, Loida Bolante and Joan Doydoy of Bgy. Kaytome; Nita Anain and Ruby Contreras of Bgy. Janosa; Lucresia Rivera, Lina Crisostomo and Connie Ricera of Bgy. Gulod; Kisha Rapas of Bgy. Biliran; and Adrian Paul Imperial of Cainta, Rizal.
Police identified the boat captain as Donad Añain, 40, of Bgy. Janoza ,while his two crewmen were identified only as alias ‘Amain’ and a certain ‘Momo.
