A domestic ferry carrying 196 people capsized in choppy waters in the central Philippines, leaving 17 dead and 45 missing, coast guard and relief sources said Wednesday. The motor vessel Jem sank off Tablas island, 180 miles southeast of Manila, Tuesday afternoon while en route from the island port of Looc to the village of Caticlan, said Timothy Gabuna, coordinator of Jesuit Volunteer Philippines, a Catholic relief organization. The coast guard in the city of Iloilo on the nearby island of Panay confirmed the Jem, described as a motorized outrigger, sank. But coast guard officials said they had no details more than 24 hours after the incident. Fishing boats in the area rescued 134 survivors, said Gabuna. He said 17 bodies were brought to Looc and were awaiting burial. Fishing boats were searching the area for the 45 people missing. Gabuna said he received the report of the sinking by radio from Cook Siong Ngo, a Chinese trader in Looc. There are no commercial telephone lines to Looc.
