At least 4 dead after ferry sinks in Philippines-reports

MANILA, June 22 (Reuters) - At least four people were killed when a ferry with over 700 passengers sank in the aftermath of Typhoon Fengshen in the central Philippines, local officials said on Sunday.

"The ship sank 3 km from the shoreline. So far, we have only found four dead, no survivors," Eleandro Madrona, a local congressman, said on radio.

"I would assume people started to transfer to rubber boats after the captain abandoned the ship."

"You can only see the bow of the ship now, it's already down in the water," said Madrona citing accounts from villagers.

A local mayor also reported the ship had capsized and said passengers in life-jackets were seen bobbing in the sea.

The head of the coast guard, Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, said he was still verifying the reports.

The MV Princess of Stars stalled in rough seas near Sibuyan island on Saturday with 626 passengers and 121 crew on board after Fengshen, with winds gusting up to 195 kph (121 mph), ripped through the archipelago.

The typhoon roared through Manila early on Sunday and is expected to head towards Taiwan in the next few days. (Reporting by Carmel Crimmins; Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco and Manny Mogato; Editing by Valerie Lee)