Philippines ship missing with 75 on board

The passenger-cargo ship, M/L Piary, sent a distress call on Sunday morning to the coast guard, saying it was taking in water through a hole after encountering strong winds and rough seas.

The ship was on its way to Palawan island in the southwestern Philippines from Tawi-tawi island near the Malaysian state of Sabah.

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The coast guard said in a statement it had dispatched two vessels and one aircraft to search for the missing boat, but that adverse weather was hampering the search.

"The current sea condition is very rough due to strong northeasterly winds prevailing in the area at this time of the year," the coast guard said.

Incessant rains and strong winds last week triggered floods and landslides in central and southern Philippines that killed up to 214 people.

AFP adds: Rescuers said yesterday they had recovered 100 more bodies, raising the likely death toll from the mudslides to more than 200.

Nearly a week of heavy rain unleashed landslides and floods on the islands of Leyte, Panaon and Bohol as well as the northeast section of Mindanao, the country's second largest island.

"Massive disaster operations are ongoing and I would like to thank the US government for lending a hand in the delivery of assistance and the search for the missing," said President Gloria Arroyo. Washington has offered all-weather rescue helicopters. Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Monday that residents of Panaon have given up hope of recovering dozens of people still believed buried in several landslides after a week of heavy rain.

"The stench is overpowering several days later, and the families of the missing in San Francisco (town) have given permission to the government to cover the rubble instead, converting it into a mass grave," Ermita told DZBB radio.