TIMELINE: Deadliest ferry disasters in the Philippines

(Reuters) - Around 800 people are missing on Monday after a ferry sank in a typhoon off Sibuyan island in the central Philippines in what could be one of the island nation's worst maritime disasters in more than 20 years.

Here is a list of some of the deadliest shipping disasters in the archipelago over the past two decades.

* Dec 1987 - A total of 4,386 die in world's worst peacetime shipping disaster, as ferry Dona Paz, owned by Sulpicio Lines, and an oil tanker collide off Mindoro Island.

* Oct 1988 - Dona Marilyn, sister ship of Dona Paz, sinks off Leyte province, killing around 300.

* July 1993 - 279 pilgrims drown when an overloaded wooden temple, mounted on three boats, collapses during a religious festival as it is being towed along the Bocaue river, 20 km (12 miles) north of Manila.

* Dec 1994 - Ferry Cebu City collides with Singapore oil tanker, killing more than 140.

* Sept 1998 - Almost 200 die when ferry MV Princess of the Orient, sister ship of Dona Paz and Dona Marilyn, sinks in stormy seas near Cavite and Batangas.

* April 2000 - At least 138 drown after the ML Annahada sinks off Jolo island in the southern Philippines.

* February 2004 - Superferry 14 catches fire near Manila Bay, killing 116 people. Abu Sayyaf claims responsibility, saying a suicide bomber sabotaged the boat to protest ill treatment of Muslim communities.

* June 2008: MV Princess of Stars sinks 3 km (2 miles) from Sibuyan island in central Philippines in typhoon-lashed seas, leaving around 800 people missing.

Source: Reuters

(Writing by Gillian Murdoch, Beijing Editorial Reference Unit)