Relatives mourn victims of the ill-fated passenger ship M/V Dona Paz in Manila's Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Dec. 28, 1987.
The overladen ferry caught fire and sank after colliding with an oil tanker 110 miles south of the capital, Manila. Although the MV Doña Paz was officially carrying 1,583 people on board, interviews with the few survivors suggest that more than double that number were actually on board. The final death toll was never confirmed, but estimates range as high as 4,375. The Philippines, an archipelago nation spread over more than 7,000 islands, has a spotty record on maritime safety.