Manila, Dec 21 (IANS): At least four people were killed on Thursday after a ferry with 250 people on board capsized off the east coast of the Philippines, the Coast Guard said.
The Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) said that 11 passengers were rescued and hospitalised, reports Xinhua news agency.
However, the PCG did not give out details of how many were still missing.
A PCG spokesman said a search operation was on.
"Three rescue boats are on the way to the accident site, some eight to nine miles from the shoreline," he added.
He said the ferry left a port in Real town, Quezon, and was on the way to Polilio, an island in the northeastern region which is separated from Luzon island by the Polilio Strait.
Authorities are looking into the cause of the accident.