37 missing as two Philippine boats sink: coastguard

Two boats have sunk after colliding in Manila Bay, leaving 37 people missing, a Philippine coastguard spokesman said today.

Two boats have sunk after colliding in Manila Bay, leaving 37 people missing, a Philippine coastguard spokesman said today.

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A wooden-hulled boat smashed into a fishing vessel before dawn today, he said, adding 46 people had so far been
rescued.

"We're still looking for 37 other people," coastguard spokesman Commander Armando Balilo said on local television.

The passenger boat collided with the fishing boat at 2:25 am (1825 GMT yesterday) several hours after setting off
from a small port with 59 passengers on board, he said.

There were a total of 16 crewmen on the vessels, both of which sank, Balilo said. The cause of the accident is being
investigated, he added.