At least four people died while 240 were rescued after passenger vessel Mercraft 3 capsized off the waters of Quezon province on Thursday morning, the Coast Guard said Thursday night.

Seven passengers are missing, said Capt. Armand Balilo, Coast Guard spokesman, in a text message to the Daily Manila Shimbun.

There were only 251 persons on board, including seven crew members when Mercraft 3, whose maximum passengers are 286, sunk five nautical miles away from the vicinity of waters of Infanta, Quezon between Dinahican Point, Quezon and Agta Point, Polillo Island around 11:27am, the Coast Guard said.

Among rescued passengers transferred to Claro M Recto Memorial District Hospital is Australian national Roland Kempt, a 61 years old resident of Pila, Laguna with his wife.

According to the Calabarzon Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), as of 5 pm, the bodies of two dead male and two female victims were brought to Claro M. Recto Memorial District Hospital.

Balilo said the Coast Guard is initially looking at bad weather as the reason for the accident.

“Although there is no storm in the area, we cannot be sure that sometimes there are strong waves along the way. So there is a big possibility that bad weather affected them. Initially, we are looking on that,” he said.

Balilo emphasized that authorities will be conducting an investigation.

“After the search and rescue operation, we will conduct our investigation and will find out what really happened,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS