Twenty-two people were killed, 28 others are missing after a passenger cargo ferry capsized in high waves off the northern coast of the Philippines, the country's coast guard authorities said Monday.

In an initial report, the coast guard said the motor-propelled ferry, MVCA MEA JAN with 96 people on board, capsized at some 50 meters from the shoreline of pallok village of Cagayan province Sunday night.

Lt. Senior Grade Gary Gimotea, coast guard public information officer, told Xinhua that 46 people have been rescued as they either swam to the shore or were picked up by passing fishing boats.

The ferry, which left the port of Calayan island at 9:30 p.m. ( 1330 GMT) Sunday, "failed to enter port of Aparri due to big waves and strong current," the report said.

It said the ferry was dragged away and capsized at around 11:00 p.m.(1500 GMT) Sunday.

Gimotea said the coast guard authority has issued notice to advice all transiting vessels to assist the rescue and has coordinated with the navy for the operation.

The coast guard's search-and-rescue vessel SAR-003 has been dispatched to the scene and a search aircraft is placed on standby.

(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2008)