At least 33 dead after Philippine ferry capsizes: govt

At least 33 people were killed after a passenger ferry with 173 on board capsized in rough waters in the central Philippines today, a disaster monitoring official said.
At least seven rescue boats picked dozens of survivors who clung to the overturned hull of the Kim Nirvana, one kilometre from Ormoc port, Ciriaco Tolibao from the city's disaster risk reduction and management office told AFP.
The Kim Nirvana was heading from the central city of Ormoc to the island of Camotes when it capsized, the coast guard office in Manila said.
Poorly-maintained, loosely-regulated ferries are the backbone of maritime travel in the sprawling archipelago.