23 die in Laguna Lake mishap Banca capsizes near Binangonan shore; 40 rescued, says PCG

LAKE TRAGEDY. In these screengrabs from a news broadcast, fishermen and local rescuers scramble to save the passengers of the motorboat Princess Aya, which capsized in Laguna Lake off the waters of Binangonan, Rizal on Thursday. The Coast Guard confirmed at least 23 casualties, including women and children (inset photos).

By Joel Zurbano

AMOTORIZED boat capsized in Laguna Lake off Binangonan, Rizal on Thursday, killing 23 people with six others missing, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

The accident occurred in the early afternoon near the northern shore of Laguna de Bay after Typhoon “Egay” had swept out of the northern Philippines, PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said (see related story

WATERWORLD.

Residents of Abulug in Cagayan are stranded on the roofs of their houses after the Cagayan River overflowed amid heavy rains brought by Typhoon Egay on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, rescuers evacuate residents and their pets as local officials reminded them to not leave their animals behind. PDRRMO, Mayor Michael Keon FB Page

-- Editors).

“What happened was they panicked after a sudden gust of wind. They ran to the left side and the boat capsized,” Balilo told Teleradyo TV in an interview.

The small passenger boat “Princess

Aya” was making its regular run from the town of Binangonan to the island of Talim in the middle of the lake, Kenneth Cirados, a rescue official in the municipality, told Agence France-Presse. Rescuers retrieved the 23 bodies from the water, including women and children, with 40 survivors, he added. Hours after the accident, rescuers and local fishermen were still scouring the lake off the coast of Barangay Kalinawan for the six people still missing,