RELIGION

Philippines searches for 18 crewmen of ship sunk by typhoon

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Residents fix the roof of their house after it was blown off by typhoon Nock-Ten, a day after Christmas Monday, Dec. 26, 2016 at Mabini township, Batangas province south of Manila, Philippines. The powerful typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Christmas Day, spoiling the biggest holiday in Asia's largest Catholic nation but weakened slightly on Monday as it roared toward a congested region near the country's capital, officials said. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

A man wades along a flooded street caused by rains from Typhoon Nock-Ten in Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on Monday, Dec. 26, 2016. The powerful typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Christmas Day, spoiling the biggest holiday in Asia's largest Catholic nation, where a governor offered roast pig to entice villagers to abandon family celebrations for emergency shelters. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) (The Associated Press)

The passenger ferry Shuttle Roro 5 is shown resting by shoreline after being swept by typhoon Nock-Ten a day after Christmas Monday, Dec. 26, 2016 at Mabini township, Batangas province, south of Manila, Philippines. The powerful typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Christmas Day, spoiling the biggest holiday in Asia's largest Catholic nation but weakened slightly on Monday as it roared toward a congested region near the country's capital, officials said. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

The Philippine coast guard has pressed the search for 18 missing Filipino crewmen from a cargo ship that sank at the height of Typhoon Nock-Ten, which spoiled Christmas celebrations in Asia's largest Catholic nation.

Coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo said Tuesday that 14 other crewmen have been rescued and one died after the M/V Starlite Atlantic sank off Mabini town in Batangas province, where the powerful typhoon passed Monday on its way out of the country into the South China Sea.

At least seven people died from the typhoon, including the sunken ship's crewman and villagers who drowned from flooding or were pinned by fallen trees or a collapsed wall in Albay and Quezon provinces.

Nock-Ten forced more than 400,000 villagers to abandon their Christmas celebrations for emergency shelters.