All saved in ship sinking

All saved in ship sinking

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines (AP): A Philippine-registered cargo ship sank off the southern Philippines after rough seas damaged its hull and stalled its engines, the coast guard said yesterday. All 24 people on board were rescued by a passing foreign ship.

Chief Petty Officer Luciano Purog said the 275-ton Virgin Pearl was en route Saturday to the port city of Davao carrying goods from Manado, Indonesia, when it developed a leak.

The engine stalled and the boat floated aimlessly near Balut Island and later sank, Purog said.

A passing ship, the Chongket, picked up 24 people, including the boat's 15 crew members, and took them ashore, said Commander Arsenio Obille, the coast guard assistant chief of staff for operations. The Virgin Pearl was built in Davao in 1995.