At least five people died when a passenger boat capsized in Sulu Province, Philippines on Thursday night, the military said on Friday.
Armed Forces of Philippine public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Harold Canunoc said the ill-fated MPB Wilayza was overload when it figured in the mishap at around 10 p.m. between Tapul and Pata islands.
"(The) said boat was reportedly overloaded with hundreds of bags of cement, iron bars and with more or less 50 passengers, excluding the crew," said Cabunoc.
Cabunoc said Col. Allan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu, directed the Naval Task Unit to send a Navy boat to the area after learning of the incident involving unregistered boat, which was coming from Jun D Wharf in Zamboanga City.
"During the search and rescue operations, five of the passengers, mostly from the municipalities of Talipao and Tapul, were found dead," said Cabunoc.
"Fourteen others, seven of which were children, were taken to ( a hospital in) Jolo by responders to receive medical treatment," he said.
An undetermined number of other survivors are already at Tapul island and being attended to by village officials who first responded to the scene, said Cabunoc.
Cabunoc said some are still missing but could not give figures. "An undetermined number of people are still missing. Search and rescue operations by government authorities are ongoing," he said.