Manila, Jul 27 (EFE).- At least 23 people were killed and six remain missing on Thursday after a boat capsized in a lake near the Philippine capital due to strong winds, the country’s coast-guard informed.
The boat overturned in a lake in the Rizal province around 37 kms southeast of Manila on Thursday evening, hours after super-typhoon Doksuri left a trail of bad weather in parts of the Luzon province, in which Manila is situated.
Doksuri, christened Egay in Manila, had left the Philippine territory hours before the accident according to local media, after at least five people were killed in northern Luzon by the storm’s impact.
The coast-guard spokesperson told reporters that strong winds rocked the ship Princess Aya, which led to the passengers panicking and moving to one side of the small vessel, causing it to overturn.
Recue teams are continuing search operations in the area of the accident, and it was not yet clear how many people had survived the accident, estimated to be around 40 according to local news outlets.
Doksuri moved towards southern Taiwan on Thursday before heading towards China eventually, having affected over 330,000 residents across northern Philippines.
Beijing had on Wednesday issued a red alert – the highest in its four-color alert system – as Doksuri approaches its southern coast, marking the fifth super-typhoon to form in the region this year. EFE
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