ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 9 -- Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and partner agencies rescued 63 people from a motorboat drifting at sea off Sulu on Monday night, authorities reported Tuesday.

Coast Guard Station (CGS)-Eastern Sulu said the vessel in distress, M/B Queen Shaima 5, was located around 7:55 p.m. in the waters of Bitinan, Luuk, Sulu.

"Upon locating the distressed vessel, the SAR team conducted a thorough assessment and verified that all 63 individuals on board were in good physical condition," CGS-Eastern Sulu said.

Investigation showed M/B Queen Shaima 5 encountered mechanical failure while traveling from Zamboanga City to Sulu. Although a passing local motorboat initially assisted the vessel, CGS-Eastern Sulu was ...