Police file murder charges in Philippine ferry disaster
Police in the Philippines have filed murder charges against owners and crew of the ferry that recently capsized just moments after leaving port, killing dozens of people.
According to regional police chief superintendent Asher Dolina, the charges were filed late on Friday in the central city of Ormoc over the sinking of the Kim Nirvana vessel.
The ship was heading from the central port city of Ormoc in Leyte Island to the island of Camotes, located east of Cebu, when it overturned on July 2.
Dolina told reporters that the owners and crew members of the ship “were not careful, showing there was an intent to kill. They were reckless on purpose.”
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has also said that the ship’s crew would be summoned soon to answer the questions of government authorities.
According to the owner of the vessel, the boat had 173 passengers and 16 crew members on board, but authorities say that the number of passengers was much higher.
Officials have raised the death toll several times since the initial number of 38 was given at the time of the incident.
The coast guard is set to widen its search and rescue operations to islands and coastal villages near Ormoc.
Survivors have reported to media that they saw about 150 large sacks of cement in the ship’s cargo area before it capsized.
“This could have caused the weight of the ship to shift,” Ormoc city Councilor Godiardo Ebcas told AFP, adding, “The ship might not be too overloaded in terms of passengers, but imagine the weight of its cargo.”
The Philippines archipelago has witnessed a number of maritime disasters involving poorly-maintained vessels.
In August 2013, 114 people lost their lives after a ferry collided with a cargo ship.
A total of 4,375 people also lost their lives in 1987 when the Dona Paz ferry crashed into a tanker, making it the worst maritime disaster in the world in peacetime.
HDS/MKA
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