TACLOBAN CITY – Eight people survived after the passenger boat they were riding on capsized Thursday night in Catbalogan City, Samar due to strong winds and big waves spawned by Typhoon “Ompong” (International name: “Mungkhat”). Among the survivors were boat owner Evelyn Duran and her husband Joseph, who served as the boat captain, according to Seaman First Class Noel Ortega of the Coast Guard Station in Catbalogan City. “The bow of the passenger boat was damaged which resulted [in] water [entering] and [capsizing] the boat,” he said. The boat owner was able to contact a relative from Barangay Singko, who owns a boat and rescue them, Ortega said. The ill-fated boat earlier arrived at the Catbalogan port loaded with nine teachers and was on its way home when it met the incident.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 14, 2018 02:26 UTC