3 drown, 1 missing as boat capsizes off Isabela

CITY OF CAUAYAN, Isabela—Three people drowned and one remained missing when a passenger boat capsized off Palanan town in Isabela after it stalled in rough seas caused by bad weather from typhoon-enhanced Habagat.

Police Senior Inspector Mariano Manalo, Palanan police chief, identified on Sunday the fatalities as Joel Tuppil and Dimasalang Valenzuela of Cauayan City; and Mylene Silva from Bataan. Still missing is a certain Ronald Silva.

An initial police investigation showed that the fatalities were among the 51 passengers and six crew members of the boat.

Police said that the boat's engine conked out when the vessel reached off Sitio Divinisa in Barangay Culasi of Palanan town.

Reports said that the vessel left the Culasi village port and was cruising towards Dilasag town in Aurora province when it encountered strong winds and waves and capsized while it stalled.

Rescuers saved 53 people, including all the boats crew members.

Search operation is on for missing Silva. —LBG, GMA News