3 Filipino fishermen die in South China Sea after their boat is hit by a passing commercial vessel

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine coast guard says three Filipino fishermen have died in the disputed South China Sea after their boat was accidentally hit by a passing commercial vessel. The fishermen’s boat was moored in a fishing area in the high seas off the northwestern Philippines when it was hit before dawn on Monday by the passing vessel and capsized, killing its skipper and two crew members. Three other fishermen survived. A police report said the three fishermen died due to “possible head trauma” from the collision. There was no indication that the deadly accident was related to the long-simmering territorial disputes in the busy waterway. It happened northwest of Scarborough Shoal, a fishing atoll fiercely contested by China and the Philippines.