MANILA, Philippines, June 30 (UPI) -- The owner of a ferry that capsized during a typhoon filed a civil suit Monday against the Philippine's national weather bureau and two of its officials.
Sulpicio Lines charges the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, or PAGASA, with "gross negligence and incompetence" in its June forecasting for Typhoon Frank," ABS-CBN TV reports.
A lawyer for the line alleges because of faulty information from the weather bureau, the captain of Sulpicio's Princess of the Stars ended up right in the path of the storm, resulting in dozens of deaths.
"PAGASA caused the vessel to sail into the jaws of death," said lawyer Arthur Lim.
Princess of the Stars left Manila for Cebu the night of June 20 with more than 800 passengers and crew aboard.
A spokesman says PAGASA will present documents at a marine inquiry showing it issued a signal 3 typhoon warning which should have alerted Sulpicio Lines to stop ships bound for Cebu.
