MANILA, Philippines - Search and rescue teams recovered five bodies from the passenger ship which sunk off two islands of Sulu province Thursday night.
The bodies were from the MPB Wilayza, an unregistered passenger ship which sunk between the waters off Pata and Tapul islands. Most of them were residents of Talipao and Tapul.
Authorities also rescued from the sunken boat 14 passengers, seven of whom are children. They are now undergoing medical treatment.
Initial reports said that the passenger boat was believed to be overloaded with sacks of cement and iron bars, aside from the 50 passengers on board, excluding its crew, when it sunk.
As of moment, government search and rescue units are still scouring the waters for survivors.