US clears $100,000 aid for Philippine ferry victims

WASHINGTON: The US government on Monday sent 100,000 dollars in emergency aid for families of the victims of a Philippine ferry tragedy, a top official said.

The donation, the maximum amount that can be sent to the US Embassy in Manila without prior authorization from Congress, was forwarded to the Philippine Red Cross, said State Department spokesman Tom Casey.

A US Navy ship was expected to arrive Tuesday in the Philippines to help search for victims where the ferry sank in a typhoon on Saturday near Sibuyan, about 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Manila.

On a visit to the United States, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo thanked the United States for its help.

"We're deeply grateful for the response by the US government, including the US Navy," she told reporters in a Washington hotel after meeting with Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

Philippine rescue teams were battling furious seas and high winds Monday in a desperate hunt for more survivors of the 24,000-tonne Princess of the Stars that sank with 862 people aboard.

So far, 36 people from the ferry have turned up alive, raising hopes that more will be found on the many tiny islands nearby.