Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Cargo ship sinks; 5 crew missing, 1 dead (11 a.m.)
MANILA -- A cargo ship sank in the northern Philippines on Wednesday, leaving five crewmen missing, one dead and 13 others rescued, the Coast Guard said.
The Panamanian-registered ship MV Unicorn Ace sank about 130 kilometers (80 miles) off Curimao in Ilocos Norte province, which is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Manila, said Amado Lorenzana, a Coast Guard officer.
He said the ship sent an automatic distress signal, but it was not clear why it sank. The nationalities of the crew were not immediately disclosed.
A passing ship rescued 13 crewmen, five were missing while one body was recovered, Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Armand Balilo said, citing information provided by the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center.
The Philippine navy and the coast guard sent three aircraft to look for survivors, and another rescue plane was dispatched from Hong Kong, which is relatively close to the site of the accident, Balilo said.
"We don't know the other details yet. Our priority now is the rescue operation," he told The Associated Press.
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