ReliefWeb

The 'Princess of the Stars' ferry, which left Manila on Friday 20 June, went aground on Saturday 21 June. About 16 hours into the 22-hour voyage the ferry began to sink as Typhoon Fengshen moved through the area. The vessel capsized about 3 kilometres from Romblon on the shore of Sibuyan Island in the central Philippines. More than 700 passengers lost their lives. It was reported that the boat was transporting an estimated amount of 100,000 litres of fuel. It was also reported that a large amount of highly toxic pesticides such as antracol, tamaron, nicolsamide and carbamate were loaded in the cargo. The chemical substances of particular concern contained in the cargo include endosulfan, carbofuran, and methamidophos. (OCHA, 15 Jul 2008)