Philippines: ferry carrying 251 people capsizes

At least three people have died after a ferry carrying 251 people capsized off the coast of the Philippines.

The accident happened off the town of Real about 43 miles east of Manila, when the vessel sailed to the island of Polillo in rough weather.

The country’s coastguard spokesman Armand Balilo said it was "still trying to get a complete picture" of the casualties following the accident.

Balilo said the ferry, which had the capacity to carry 280 people, had not been overloaded.

"We believe the weather was a big factor" in the accident, he said, adding nearby boats had already rescued some of the people on board, who he did not name.

Rescue helicopters and sea vessels were on their way to the site, but rescue operations were dealing with bad weather and huge waves caused by a typhoon.

Philippine media reported that at least three people had been killed.

Boat accidents are common in the Philippines, which is frequently lashed by storms and typhoons.