Rescuers May Bore Hole in Filipino Ferry

As strong waves keep rescue ships at bay, Philippine officials are weighing two plans for getting inside the massive ferry that capsized with more than 740 people aboard. They will likely either send divers from below or bore a hole in the ship’s hull, the AP reports. “We're not ruling out that somebody there is still alive,” said one Coast guard official. “You can never tell.”

Boring a hole would be risky—the ferry was carrying a cargo of bunker oil that could leak out—but it may be the only way divers can reach trapped passengers. So far just 38 survivors have reached shore, including a group of 28 that washed up yesterday, after drifting in their lifejackets for more than 24 hours. (More Philippines stories.)