President Benigno Aquino III. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
President Benigno Aquino III has ordered a “thorough investigation” into the capsizing of a motorized banca off Ormoc City on Thursday, which killed at least 38 passengers.
READ: 36 dead, 20 missing as banca capsizes off Ormoc City waters
Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Aquino is expecting the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to find out what caused the incident.
“We expect a thorough investigation on the part of the PCG to find out what caused the incident,” Valte said in a statement Friday.
She said the PCG has deployed a Maritime Casualty Investigation Team “currently pursuing various avenues of inquiry, including possible overloading, capability of the captain and its officers, load capacity of the vessel, and others.”
On Thursday morning, M/B Kim Nirvana, which was carrying 189 passengers and crew capsized off Ormoc City.
Valte said the search and rescue operation is still ongoing a day after the tragic incident.
“We mourn with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the incident and assure them a speedy and objective investigation,” she said. IDL
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