A Philippine-flagged cargo ship sank off an island in the country’s center, killing one crew member and leaving two others missing, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.

The Jerlyn Kathness was sunk by large waves in the San Bernardino Strait off the island of Samar on Monday, with passing vessels saving 11 of the 15 crew members overnight, Coast Guard station commander Bryhl Amay said AFP.

After more than 25 hours in the ocean, another crew member was able to swim ashore to the little island of San Juan before sunrise Tuesday. According to Amay, fishermen recovered the body of another crew member off the island of Biri.

Amay said a search for the two crew members who are still missing was underway on Tuesday.

The ship was transporting 24 tonnes of cement to Samar from the central island of Cebu.

The official could not immediately provide any information about the sinking vessel, which a tracking website characterized as a 199-tonne general cargo ship built in 1993.

AFP