Chinese ship sinks off Cagayan; 1 dead

Sunday, December 11, 2011

MANILA — A Chinese crew member has drowned and another is missing after they abandoned their sinking cargo ship in the northern Philippines.

Philippine coast guard officer Ernesto Renon says the 13 other crew members of the Changda 216, including 12 Chinese and an Indonesian, reached shore aboard two lifeboats early Sunday off Aparri town in Cagayan province.

But the other two crew members' lifeboat overturned. One of the men drowned, while a search is under way for the other.

Coast guard officer Jay Tariella says the 2,993-ton steel-hulled ship steered away from Aparri after being loaded with iron ore. It then sank in shallow waters after being lashed by huge waves.

He says steps are being taken to prevent the ship's 70,000 tons of diesel from spilling. (AP)