Survivors cling to capsized boat after storm kills 11 in the Philippines

Survivors cling to a capsized boat after three vessels flipped over killing 11 people in the Philippines yesterday.

Three people are still missing after sudden storms battered boats in the Guimaras Strait, a channel of water between islands in the centre of the country.

There were at least 63 people rescued after the disaster, including three who were seriously injured.

Passengers on the ferries - a common form of transport between islands in the Philippines - said they were battered by strong winds and waves at around noon.

Footage shows survivors clinging to the capsized Chi-Chi boat. Those seen in the video on the keeled boat were all later rescued safely.

Donna Magno, chief of the Iloilo City Risk Reduction and Management Office, said yesterday evening that ''search and retrieval operations are still ongoing''.

Coastguards returned home at night but continued the operation on Sunday, August 4 morning.

Strong winds and choppy seas were being felt yesterday in Iloilo and Guimaras following a southwest monsoon intensifying a low-pressure area.

The first incident happened when two passenger boats, Chi-Chi and Keziah 2, capsized at noon killing 10 people while travelling from Parola Wharf to Jordan Wharf in Jordan town, Guimaras.

They were battered with sudden winds, rain and waves. There were 41 survivors from the 51 passengers and crew.

The third boat, Jenny Vince, was carrying 34 passengers and four crew members when it capsized at 3.30pm.

Iloilo City Mayors Jerry Trenas said all passenger boat trips in the strait had now been suspended while the rescue operations take place.